A Twist in Time
by Aneiki Jones
Summary: Jarod discovers the real truth behind the Parker twins when he helps LCDR Rabb, Lt Austin and Lt Kate Pike with a murder case.
1. Default Chapter

****  
  
Naval Intelligence  
  
Monday  
  
0011 hours  
  
The Navy Lieutenant turned on the lamp that was sitting on top of the office desk. She was there to finalize a high priority report case before the meeting in the morning. It was late into the night and she wanted to make sure she had everything in order. This was probably one of the biggest decisions in her life, not to mention the biggest political move that more than likely could destroy her naval career. But she had to live with the consequences. Her conscious vs. that of the lives of the men and women who were unfortunate to serve on the Sea Raptor.  
  
They were finally getting somewhere. She and a Naval Intelligence Lieutenant had enough evidence to shut down the project and tomorrow was going to be the day they presented the evidence to the group that were higher up the food chain. The report was finalized, and now all she had to do was place it into the Lieutenant's safe and call it a night.  
  
Twisting the handle, the safe beeped 'secure' when locked into place. Placing the picture back over, she then turned to gather the copies. When she first heard the office door open, she thought it was just one of the Military Police making their rounds. Instead what she saw was this stranger, standing in front of her. "May I help you?" He didn't answer her, he just stood there watching her.  
  
The man slowly advanced towards her, he was putting on gloves. Somehow he had imagined her to be a little taller perhaps. Her hair was a little shorter and darker too, 'oh well..' he thought, '..people usually get bored with one look and so.. swoosh, there goes the hair.' He couldn't believe that this insignificant woman could cause the 'great' man such trouble.  
  
This can't be happening to me, the woman thought. She backed away from the man dressed in a dark suit, she couldn't see his face, probably the last face she would see, she feared. She stumbled back into the desk, her hand brushed against the files she was skimming through minutes before. Were they the original files? No, they were already secure in the safe, these were the copies.  
  
The woman felt that she had no other opportunity then to try to make a run for the door now. The letter opener, she thought. Slowly she fumbled across the desk until she felt the object she was searching for. With one hand she reached for the letter opener, and with her other, she grabbed the lamp and threw it at the man. He let the lamp bounce off his shoulder before reaching out and grabbing the woman by her arm. He laughed as she screamed.  
  
He was looming over her, he put his hand in her face, his fingers clawing, trying to get a hold of her throat, when he glimpsed a flash of gold, and then the searing pain as it punctured into his left arm. He looked down at her, and saw the fear in her eyes before smiling at her. He flipped her around and held her delicate throat in his hands for a minute while whispering something inaudible in her ear before snapping her neck.  
  
****  
  
Millerton, South Carolina  
  
7:42 A.M.  
  
"How touching."  
  
The red notebook carried the newspaper articles following the story of a kidnapped prize-winning dog that had been returned to its ten-year-old owner by a mysterious show-trainer. The culprit had been an unscruplous breeder named Marvin Smythe who had wanted to see his own animals succeed in the tiny Pekingese's place. The biggest picture in the notebook showed the ten year old boy with the dog, smiling from ear to ear.  
  
Miss Parker dropped the little book onto the car seat between herself and Sydney and lit up a cigarette. She took a long drag on it as she glanced out the window. "This is all we have after driving all night?"  
  
"He didn't leave us very much to go on this time, did he?" Sydney remarked, almost curiously, nearly to himself.  
  
Parker exhaled slowly, but did not turn to look at him. "No... but knowing Jarod, that won't last for long."  
  
Sydney picked up the notebook and began studying it, the articles, the small handwritten notes in the margins. Jarod's handwriting had always been so neat and methodical, even as a child. Much like the brilliant mind that guided the pen, each thought clear as cut glass. In the back cover of the notebook, Jarod had actually sketched the portrait of the Pekingese he'd rescued. It was drawn freehand, but was very good, capturing precisely the curious, liquid eyes and the pug-nosed cuteness of the animal. Sydney smiled to himself; Jarod had never been allowed to have a pet at the Centre. He must have enjoyed this particular "pretend" a great deal.  
  
Suddenly he noticed something about the sketch that was slightly unusual, and he held the notebook closer to the car window for more light.  
  
"What is it?" Parker wanted to know. She had crushed out her cigarette and was preparing to light another. Sydney examined the little detail carefully before answering. "The tag on the dog collar... it's drawn here in the shape of a military dog tag."  
  
"So Jarod wants to play soldier for a day?" Miss Parker rolled her eyes slightly, taking a deep breath.  
  
"No... sailor. The tag says U.S.N." Sydney replied. The letters were tiny, almost unreadable, but they were there.  
  
"He must have a thing for ships." Parker puffed on the new cigarette. This wasn't the first time Jarod had "pretended" to be a naval officer. "Is there anything else?" She was annoyed that she hadn't seen the dog tag during her inspection of the notebook.  
  
Sydney shook his head slightly, closing the notebook. "No. Nothing. I'm sure when Jarod's ready, he'll tell us what he wants us to know." He yawned. He needed coffee now.  
  
"Hmph." Parker sniffed disdainfully, and she took another long, deliberate drag on the newly lit cigarette.  
  
****  
  
Judge Advocate General  
  
0823 hours  
  
Lieutenant Commander Harm Rabb stood behind his desk chair and glanced out the rain streaked windows of his office. He sipped on his coffee while watching other Navy staff trying hard to avoid getting wet. He spotted the pretty brunette Petty Officer who worked at the front reception looking towards his window, and he raised his coffee cup in a good-morning salute. But she didn't return the gesture. Didn't see him, or she was just ignoring him. He sighed.  
  
Turning around at the sound of the door opening, he smiled when he saw his partner, Major Sarah MacKenzie stumble past his office looking like she lost the battle against the rain. "Let me guess, you slept in and decided to have your shower on the way to the office?" he called out while laughing.  
  
Sarah stopped long enough to glance at him through the window, raised a brow at him then walked towards her own office, dumping her now broken umbrella and briefcase on her desk. She then walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup of ambition, then went back to her desk and flopped down in her chair. "We're all not as lucky as you are to get parking close to the door, Harm." She called back. "That wind can sure gust when it wants to." Sarah eyed the remains of her umbrella.  
  
"Tut tut Mac, did we not get enough sleep last night?" he had followed her into her office. Glancing around, he was amazed that she could find anything at all.  
  
"I may have squeezed an hour or two in, I had to do a summary for an upcoming case. It's becoming a nightmare." She shivered at the thought.  
  
"Can't be as much a nightmare as what I'm about to tell you."  
  
Sarah swiveled her chair around to face Harm, awaiting his news. She noticed Harm was in his service dress blues, and that his dress jacket was still on. Strange considering one of the first things he does when he arrives is to take off his jacket and hang it up. He hated wearing his jacket in the office, he said he felt so... restricted.  
  
"We have a command performance at center ring in 5 minutes."  
  
Sarah moaned, "I haven't even finished my first cup of coffee."  
  
Harm gave her a sympathetic pat on her shoulder before rinsing out his own cup. "Come on Mac, where's that Marine Corps ambition you brag about so much?"  
  
"It's still in bed where it's supposed to be on a nasty day like today." she yawned.  
  
**********************  
  
NAVAL OFFICER KILLED  
  
The newspaper headline topped the breaking story in the Leesburg, Virginia Gazette. Sitting in a booth in a local diner, a tall, dark-haired man with inquisitive eyes studied the article carefully. At the center of the front page story was a picture of the deceased, Lieutenant Samantha Collins. The picture showed her in her dress whites, her expression serious beneath the brim of her hat, or "cover" as it was referred to in military slang. The article itself detailed the story of how the bright young officer had been found in one of the Naval Intelligence offices with a self inflicted gun shot to her head. Jarod felt otherwise.  
  
Jarod had been intrigued from the first, mainly because Collins had been involved with a military secret that was just now being revealed to the public and had become highly publicized within the Navy. The Sea Shadow. That stealth ship was the new baby of the Navy.  
  
What had caught Jarod's attention was the noise she had started to make regarding the project's parent ship. The Sea Raptor. The Raptor project had been mothballed mainly due to the fact that it had some major design flaws. But now with all the glory of the Sea Shadow, the DoD contractors wanted to reactivate it and get it out to sea in a matter of mere months. Samantha had been against it, and she didn't hide that fact. It was all over the Navy Times and it was also known she had managed to start an investigation to stop the completion of the Sea Raptor.  
  
"Will that be all for today, Cap'n?"  
  
Jarod looked up to see the sixtyish proprietor of the little diner looking down at him. Jarod smiled, the expression lighting up his whole face. "Yes, it will, thank you. And I'm not a captain... just a lieutenant commander." Jarod dug into his pocket and paid his bill plus a generous tip.  
  
"Well... seems like a good young sailor like yourself oughta be a captain." The man grinned back.  
  
Jarod stood up, tucking the white "cover" beneath his arm and collecting his notebook and the newspaper. His dress blues stood out sharply among the small crowd of local patrons in casual civilian clothing. "I'm not really a sailor, either, actually." Jarod's grin broadened a bit. "I'm a lawyer."  
  
****  
  
J.A.G.  
  
Boardroom 2C  
  
0845 hours  
  
Minutes later, Sarah and Harm walked into the office of Admiral Chegwidden. Commander Allison Krennick, Lieutenant (junior grade) Budd Roberts were already present. He nodded towards the Commander, she smiled back.  
  
Admiral Chegwidden glanced up at the two latest arrivals. "You'll have time for formalities later Commander, right now we have a murder case to solve." The Admiral glanced at Lieutenant Roberts who then handed out some photo's for the group to glance at while he explained what little information he had.  
  
"I need a senior officer to conduct a by-the-book, right-now, JAG investigation into an incident that has happened last night. The incident involves a suicide death, which may be homicide. With me so far?" the Admiral glanced around to make sure. Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
"Last night at approximately 0130, a young naval lieutenant was found in an office at the Naval Intelligence building. Now this is where it gets sticky. See Lieutenant Samantha Collins works for the Department of Defense, but she was helping in an NI case, and now her death has become a JAG investigation.  
  
"What we've got here is an investigation, and a political power play. We all know that NI is not entirely in good repute around the flag ranks here. Wanting to step on our toes.." he let it hang.  
  
Harm stared directly at Admiral Chegwidden, avoiding the gaze of Commander Krennick. "Yes sir, I'm sure we've all heard some NI stories, but still, the Navy has suicides from time to time."  
  
"Yeah but this one is going to stir up the press. It sounds like a pretty bizarre case, but since you all are going to investigate it, and I am the officer appointing you, I can't say anymore about it then what you see here. Command influence."  
  
"Command influence?" Lieutenant JG Bud Roberts inquired.  
  
Admiral Chegwidden paused for a minute. In a lower voice, "Yes Lieutenant, an investigating officer is required to find the facts for his/herself with no input from command influence to taint his/her findings."  
  
Bud glanced away, he should have known that. He DID know that.  
  
The pictures were slowly making their way around the room. Harm had to lean out of his chair to pass the photos over to Sarah. Reaching for them, she glanced at the first photo of a woman laying awkwardly beside the desk with her neck tilted un-naturally to one side. The second photo had a close up on her face. Sarah gasped suddenly. Where has she seen this woman before? She looked so familar somehow, like she had seen her recently.  
  
The room had a sudden hush to it, and all eyes looked to her.  
  
"A problem Major?" Admiral Chegwidden asked.  
  
"Ugh, no sir." Sarah could feel her cheeks flush and tried to look like she had moved on to concentrate on the pictures, but the more she studied the woman's face, the more she felt that she knew her.  
  
"Mr. Rabb, as I'm sure you figured out by now, I want you, and the Major to handle the investigation and you're going to have to deal with NI and keep them posted on your findings. Rabb, I know you have dealt previously with a few cases involving NI, that's why you're here, to guide them through all that bull shit bureaucracy they're going to put us through. Mr. Rabb, your contact with NI will be Commander Ryan, as I'm sure doesn't come to no big surprise."  
  
"Aye sir."  
  
"Lieutenant Roberts, I need you to keep an eye on the media. Ensign Sims... err Roberts, or is that Sims-Roberts?" He queried, then waved it off, not wanting to get them worked up at this point. "Either way, she is to help you prepare any statements that Rabb or MacKenzie may need to say. If anything. If I had my way, I wouldn't want any statements at all, and try to keep this as quiet as possible. Media these days are so in-your- face..." he let the sentence hang. "Commander Krennick will be available to help whoever needs it, any information you need, she'll have connections to help you. Understood?"  
  
"Understood, sir!"  
  
The Admiral stood up to leave. "Oh and Mr. Rabb. Do remember this is home base, and check in once in a while to keep us posted." With that, he left, closing the door behind him.  
  
****  
  
Falls Church Airport  
  
1040 hours  
  
Lieutenant Kate Pike stepped through the doors of the airport, the flood of sunlight blinding her temporarily. She looked around at her surroundings curiously; it had been awhile since she'd been in this area. Three years, to be exact. Three years since her transfer to SeaTac and then to Okinawa. This was her first three week vacation since then. Oh, she'd had the long weekend here and there, but not a real vacation. Three whole weeks to herself. When the clock had shown the last few minutes before freedom, she had gathered her briefcase and purse, and run out the door before Captain Baisley could find her to give her one of those 'it will only take a few minutes' assignments.  
  
Kate pulled out her sunglasses and put them on, wiggling them on her nose until they were comfortable. She then picked up her two suitcases and her shoulderbag, which she slung over her shoulder with her purse.  
  
The temperature was on its way to the 'high' of the day, and already she could feel the sweltering sun on her skin. It was unusual for this time of year. The muginess of the rain that morning could be felt instantaniously. That rental had better have air conditioning. Glancing at her watch, she realized she'd better get moving, she had a ton of things to do prior to meeting him.  
  
****  
  
Somewhere in Falls Church  
  
1159 a.m.  
  
The man sat in his cushy chair, he flipped mindlessly through the television stations, occasionally stopping to listen to what was being said. He was looking for anything on the murder of that naval lieutenant. So far nothing. Sipping on his cognac, he waited for the pain killers to kick in again. Damn b*tch managed to surprise him with that hit into his arm.  
  
The telephone started to ring, the man glanced at his watch. 12:00 pm. Right on the nose. Military people, they live by the damn clock. He let it ring 4 times before picking it up. He didn't want to appear too anxious.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Mr. Hawke?"  
  
It was the captain. "You're little problem has been taken care of, cap'n."  
  
"That's why I'm calling. You royally f*cked up this time. You killed her. I said to talk to her, not kill her, and second off.. I hope you know that she was not the only lieutenant who is aware of this."  
  
"What you said, was to take care of this little problem you had. You did not specify you wanted her alive after I talked to her." What was it with these weak people? How do they get so far up the military ladder? Do they not have any balls? He could sense the captain was panicking now. Wait a minute, what did he say? There are more in on this?  
  
"My gawd, you didn't have to kill her. We're screwed now. If the other lieutenant leaks the information she found out to anyone before we get a hold of her, we're dead. If they suspect anything about what's going on... " he paused, perhaps trying to catch his breath. "JAG is starting an investigation with NI."  
  
"They're not going to find out anything. There is no evidence connecting me, you or your man to her murder. I even cleaned up the mess in her office before I left. Nothing is missing except the lamp that she threw at me and broke."  
  
"I don't know, she has connections, I'm telling you. I know she talked to that lieutenant..." and then, as if in thought. "How could you leave the body?" he snapped. "At least we could have said she desserted."  
  
"It was a message for them to drop their snooping. Besides, it looked like she killed herself." He sighed. "I'll deal with the other one too when the time comes. Now, have you deposited the rest of my money into my account?"  
  
"Yes, it was sent this morning."  
  
"Then it was nice doing business with you. You need me, you know how to contact me."  
  
Mr. Hawke hung up the phone. He hated long conversations. Shorter the better, just in case they were tracing. Not that they were, but you never know. Everyone was out to cover their asses. He went back to watching the television in case they said something about her.  
  
****  
  
J.A.G. Head Quarters  
  
1315 hours  
  
"Major MacKenzie!" Commander Krennick called out. She poked out while holding the doors to the elevator. "Have you seen Mr. Rabb yet this afternoon?"  
  
"Um, no ma'am I haven't. Would you..." Sarah had just opened up the office door to OPS a crack and was startled to hear her name.  
  
"Tell him to come see me ASAP when you see him Major." Krennick turned on her heel and went back into the elevator, leaving Sarah to raise a brow and watch the doors close.  
  
Opening the door the rest of the way and walking through, Sarah dropped off her brief case, and coat in her office, then she stopped by Harm's office. "Lieutenant Commander Rabb, please report to Commander Krennick's office ASAP." she said.  
  
"Lieutenant Commander Rabb isn't here." Harm said hopefully, keeping his head down.  
  
"Better you then me, sir." Bud answered while stepping out from behind the filing cabinet.  
  
"I could order you to take my place, Lieutenant." he suggested, not sure if he himself meant it or said it teasingly.  
  
"I guess you could, but you wouldn't put a newly wed's life in danger, now would you, sir?" smiling, Bud picked up the then ringing phone. Pausing a moment, "Judge Advocate General. Lieutenant Commander Rabb's office. Mm hmm, yes, yes. One moment please." Bud hit the little *hold* button. "Line two says she's from NI asking for Mr. Rabb. What ever did you do, sir?"  
  
"Uh oh." Harm grimaced. "It's Commander Ryan, isn't it." It was a statement, not a question. Bud caught Harm's expression, and knew instantly that Harm *had* done something... wrong.  
  
"Sir..." Bud asked, all seriousness. "What did you do?"  
  
"I had Lieutenant Collins' office examined and catalogued for evidence without informing NI." When Bud gave him a surprised look, Harm shrugged. "I didn't want 'em underfoot."  
  
"Sir... this is supposed to be a joint investigation."  
  
"I know *that*, Bud. I'm quite sure she's going to throttle me when she finds out I'm going to be at the office where the lieutenant was found." Harm answered. "Just... let me talk to her, she's been on hold long enough, and I'm going to get my six chewed anyway."  
  
"Okay, you say so, sir." Bud passed the call over, and Harm drew in a deep breath before answering.  
  
"Lieutenant Commander Rabb." When Harm winced sharply only a moment later, Bud figured that *now* would be the best time to try to make his escape. Let the six-chewing begin. He didn't get very far.  
  
"Are those the files on Lieutenant Collins, ma'am?" Bud asked.  
  
"Yes it is Bud." Sarah smiled at him while handing it over. Bud quickly left the little office.  
  
Harm slammed down the phone. "Damn it. Ryan just told me that there is point man who wants in to keep tabs on the investigation." he growled. "To top it off, she transfers me to the brainless wonder. Who the hell do they think they are, trying to dupe me into letting them do the report. We do that, its going to be incomplete and one sided."  
  
"Now now Harm." Sarah sighed. "Don't go turning this into a blown out political power play, like the Admiral said."  
  
Harm laughed, "Still, NI is trying to pull a fast one." He knew he shouldn't be classifying them all as morons, especially Ryan, but still, the few times he had dealings with the division, he walked away with killer headaches. He also knew that Ryan would kick his ass and set him straight if she were to ever hear him talk this way. "I had to tell him that the JAG himself, Admiral Chegwidden, who works for the Secretary of the Navy, who is at the top of our food chain and his, signed the documents that there is only one investigation. There better not be a separate investigation going on at NI that I or Commander Ryan have not set in motion because it could lead to a duplication in effort, confusion, people working at cross purposes, and probably a compromise of evidence in this case. He didn't like that much so I had to tell him that I had a direct line to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations office and that he was a classmate of the Admirals and if he didn't like it, I was sure I could get us a meeting on fairly short notice."  
  
"What did he say to that?"  
  
"He said he didn't have much choice, since I put it that way. He wants another one of his own officers to work the investigation, along with you, me, and Commander Ryan... he says she's smack in the middle of the same assignment that Collin's was working on"  
  
"Sounds like it's going to be fun. OH, did you got see the commander yet?" Sarah smirked when he rolled his eyes. "You know she's going to want your hide if you ignore her all day."  
  
Harm waved it off, not wanting to think about it at that moment. He sighed and placed his head down on his desk, a headache was starting to appear, and it somehow had the name of Allison Krennick on it. "I suppose I should get it over with. If I'm not back in 20 minutes, call the MP's and tell them where I was last seen."  
  
****  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
Falls Church, Virginia  
  
1658 hours  
  
Lieutenant j.g. Bud Roberts was typing frantically at the computer, putting together a statement that had to be on the desk of the Admiral by 1500. His fingers stumbled over the keyboard, hitting the backspace key more often than any other. He was grateful for spell checking. Except for their scurrying, it had been unusually quiet in the office today, and the sounds of his frenetic typing were the only ones in the room. Most of the office were either in meetings or training courses.  
  
Suddenly the sound of light whistling broke the quiet, and Bud glanced up to see a tall lieutenant commander come around the corner, cover under one arm, a red notebook in one hand and a silver briefcase in the other. Bud frowned slightly; the man was not familiar to him at all, yet seemed to have a look of.....somehow, fitting in, as though he really belonged here. All at once Bud realized, a lieutenant commander, and he abruptly stood to attention as the officer approached.  
  
"At ease, Lieutenant." The man said, and his voice was soft. "Perhaps you could help me."  
  
"Yes, sir?" Bud glanced briefly at the report, hoping that this wouldn't take too long.  
  
"I'm looking for a Lieutenant Commander Rabb?"  
  
"Oh, you're in the right place, sir. He's usually in that office over there, but unfortunately he's out of the office." he paused a moment. "I think." Bud motioned toward the inner office, and the tall officer smiled at him in such a genuine way that Roberts couldn't help but return it.  
  
"That's ok. I'll return in the morning then. I have some errands I have to do anyway." He gave Bud a nod, then offered Harriet a small smile which didn't go un-noticed by Bud. Harriet returned the smile then watched him leave. Bud furrowed his brow, then pretended he didn't notice. Harriet sighed.  
  
Marriage, Harriet reflected, certainly had a way of putting a different perspective on work. She wasn't sure if she liked it yet or not. Oh, she like marriage just fine. It was this new...angle it brought to her working relationship with her husband that she wasn't too sure about.  
  
They'd spent the better part of the day working together, preparing a plan for handling the media. Normally that wasn't Bud's thing any longer, and really it wasn't hers either, now that she was technically reassigned to the I.G.'s office. But Admiral Chegwidden had asked them personally to handle it. Just the request alone was enough to make them both realize how carefully this entire matter had to be handled.  
  
The first statement from the Navy's point of view had been taken care of relatively easily...just a general overview of the body being discovered, and a hopeful sounding statement that perhaps the autopsy results would reveal more. It was the second draft, something a tad more detailed, that had gotten them into trouble. The main purpose of the second draft was to "cover their sixes" in case an overzealous reporter dug up more information than they should have access to. What more could they say then the release that was already made official that morning by the media.  
  
'He can be so....stubborn!' she thought to herself with a soft sigh. She should've asked Commander Rabb about that, along with the "why are men such jerks" question some months ago. For his own part, Bud Roberts was absorbed in trying to wrap up the final details of a small press conference that was being called on the case... half a dozen reporters hunting like sharks for a story. It had been awhile since he'd tackled anything like this, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked it. He'd much rather be working the actual case... well, maybe that would come later.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a very soft sigh. He glanced up to see Harriet looking at him. "What?" he asked, his tone slightly confused. They had only been married a couple months, and already he knew that look.  
  
Harriet smiled a little bit in response. "Don't you think we've earned ourselves a nice dinner?" she asked. Certainly a few minutes away from the office alone could only help matters.  
  
Bud glanced at his watch, taken a little by surprise that it was indeed already heading towards that time. They had been so preoccupied with what they were working on that he hadn't paid attention to the time. "Yeah... uhm... sure, Harriet. I guess we could do that." he pushed aside a folder. "The commander and the major should be back soon; maybe we can all go together."  
  
Harriet bit her lip just momentarily, then sighed again. "I guess so." she said, not quite able to keep all the disappointment from her voice.  
  
"Do what?" Harm asked as he breezed into the common area, intent on getting a few things from his office.  
  
"Oh, Commander." Bud turned a bit to follow his CO with his gaze. "We were just talking about going to dinner... maybe you and the major wanted to join us?"  
  
Harm glanced at the newlyweds and picked up on Harriet's slight, hidden message of 'no' in her expression and posture. He stifled a smile, and glanced away to keep his amused expression from Bud. "No, can't do that Bud. God knows where Mac is, and I have to get home, I have to meet.. someone." Harm shuffled through a stack of papers. "And I'm not likely to be back here until tomorrow morning."  
  
"Understood, sir." Bud replied absently, no wiser to the silent communication that had taken place between his wife and his CO. "Oh, someone was looking for you, said he'd stop by later."  
  
"Thanks, Bud. Have a good evening, you two." Harm grinned, then headed out with the notes he had come to find.  
  
"I guess it's just the two of us now, hmm?" Harriet smiled, almost shyly, and Bud grinned back, suddenly glad it had worked out this way.  
  
****  
  
Tuesday Morning  
  
Somewhere in Falls Church  
  
0800 hours  
  
The following morning, Hawke went out early to get a morning paper and some cigarettes from the convenience store. He walked across to the bakery and bought a coffee and a bagel, then walked over to the park and sat on a bench where he opened up his paper and scanned for any articles about *the* incident. He found it right away: A female naval lieutenant had committed suicide at the Naval Investigative offices. She had been DOA at the George Washington University Hospital with a self inflicted gun shot to the head. She had been identified as Lieutenant Samantha Collins, USN, age 27, attached to the Department of Defence Office at the Navy headquarters in the Pentagon. According to the paper, there was no witnesses to the incident.  
  
He spent the next half hour drinking his coffee and eating his bagel while watching various women clicking past him in their heels. Every one of them was a looker. He smirked, no wonder these Navy types get themselves into trouble.. after all, he was quite sure now that there were many hidden secret affairs. These *great* men hoping to keep it quiet, especially after Tailhook.  
  
He also thought about this other lieutenant, the one that he should have made the hit on in the first place. Was it his fault that they didn't tell him that some other person could be in her office?  
  
He wondered if he should call them to see if they required his services again. Glancing down at the paper.. he figured that they probably didn't since it appeared that the investigating team had nothing on what happened to the young Lieutenant.  
  
When he returned to his apartment, however, his answering machine was blinking at him, telling him that he had a message waiting. Hitting Play, he heard the hysterical message from the captain directing him to call ASAP on the private line. Hawke grinned and erased the message. 


	2. Chapter 2

~*~*~  
  
Naval Investigations  
  
Tuesday  
  
0815 hours  
  
Harm Rabb opened the door to the office where Lieutenant Samantha Collins had been found. He swayed a moment when he saw the small stain of blood by the desk. A flashback of a time years ago when...  
  
"Good morning, sir!"  
  
He turned at the sound of her voice. Suddenly there she was, standing before him. "Meg?"  
  
Meg Austin smiled, and the first thing Harm noticed was her eyes, those bright blue eyes that went along with the sunny smile. The same eyes that had caught his attention nearly three years ago. The same eyes that held his attention now. "It really is you."  
  
"Who were you expecting, sir, the Easter Bunny?" She resisted making a face, although she was amazed at how easily the light teasing they'd once shared came back. "Or maybe an alien." A small reference to an investigation they'd run when they'd been partners.  
  
"Well...I....no, I wasâ€"" Suddenly the realization dawned on Harm, and he knew he would have to get Becca Ryan for this later. "You're the NI agent they've sent to ride my investigation, aren't you?"  
  
Meg raised an eyebrow, pushing past the lieutenant commander to enter the office. "I'm happy to see you, too, Harm." she remarked, and this time, she did make a face at him, as she was far enough inside the office that no one else would see it.  
  
Harm grinned. He'd missed her easy-going sense of humor. His eyes swept over her again, taking in all the little details. "You've made full lieutenant." he commented as he glanced at her shoulder-boards. "Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you, sir." Meg sidestepped the bloody spot on the floor. "What do you have so far?" It was apparent she was changing the discussion over to duty.  
  
"Not much. I had Lieutenant Collins' office..." he waved his hand to emphasize 'this' office. "... examined and catalogued for evidence without... informing anyone."  
  
"MMhmm." Meg raised a brow at him. She knew Harm had a way of weaseling his way into getting his way, even if it was to just check out the office. She swore it was one of his art forms. "I heard about that from Commander Ryan." She smiled at his response of swallowing, knowing he was going to pay for that move at a later time.  
  
Harm could not get over the fact that there she was. Standing mere feet away from him after all these years. Just seeing her again awakened all the feelings, emotions he had felt for her when she was his partner. He watched her move around the office effortlessly and he was so lost in her beauty, the way she still made him feel.  
  
Over the last few years he had tried to forget her. He had tried to initiate relationships that he thought he was ready for, but yet Meg Austin had haunted his memory and he couldn't commit to any of the others, and he wasn't so sure if he'd even really wanted to. Seeing her again though, he knew he wasn't ready to commit to anyone else. "Next time you want to examine my office, please inform me."  
  
"Your office?" How deep into this assignment was she?  
  
"Yes, sir." Meg replied, without elaborating. Harm's brows shot up in curiosity.  
  
"I'd assumed..."  
  
"Well, you know what they say about assuming, sir." Meg's voice strayed into a playful tone again for a moment, and Harm couldn't help but smile. In that same instant, Meg felt the same as Harm had just moments ago. That smile... so familiar. Did he have any idea what it did to her? She cleared her throat lightly.  
  
Harm broke eye contact and wandered to the nearest chair, settling himself into it before turning his gaze back on her."Well, I assumed this was Lieutenant Collins' office. At the very least that she shared it with someone... and a fairly recent move, too. No nameplates on the door or on the desks yet... still a few things that are boxed up-" Harm indicated two boxes that remained in one corner, unpacked. "And two semi-empty desks just waiting for a million and one files."  
  
Meg shook her head slightly; some things just never changed. Not the smile, not that penetrating look in his eyes, and apparently not the 'Sherlock thing.' Observant as ever. "The boxes, Commander, are mine." she replied as she finally settled into her own chair. "I've only been here for a few weeks."  
  
Harm blinked, caught off guard a third time. First, her presence, secondly that she had been heavily involved with this case from fairly early on, and now that she had been here for a few weeks and he hadn't known about it.  
  
Meg caught the look in his eyes, and she glanced away briefly, a little embarrassed. There had been reasons for her leaving, for transferring out as she did. Reasons that she wasn't about to bring up right here, right now.  
  
"Is this...a regular assignment, or just a temporary posting?" Harm asked curiously.  
  
Meg bit her lower lip a moment, a habit that she had picked up in nervous moments. She had wanted to call him from the moment she'd returned, but there had been... other factors to consider.  
  
"It's a regular assignment." she answered. "But as for this office, I would say it is now temporary." Meg indicated the blood stain, "This now being declared a crime scene."  
  
Harm considered her reply a moment, then nodded. "It's... nice to see you again." he said awkwardly, and a hint of his smile appeared on his face again.  
  
Meg could feel her cheeks getting warm, and so she pulled out her files. "What other conclusions did you draw from your sweep of the office?"  
  
She diverted the conversation back to business, and Harm accepted that for the time being. There were a million questions swimming in his head, things he wanted to ask her, but he knew that right now they needed to concentrate on the investigation at hand.  
  
"Other than the signs of struggle and several of Lieutenant Collins' fingerprints? Not much." Harm admitted ruefully. "Looks like the person who did this knew what he was doing."  
  
Standing back up, Meg walked over to the wall picture, moving it aside to reveal the safe. "So regardless of what the papers say, you believe she was murdered and that she didn't commit suicide." Her fingers turned the dial slowly to the right, then left, then right again, the tumblers lining up to 'pop' and reveal it's contents. The original report as well as all the lieutenant's notes and proof of the Sea Raptor's faults.  
  
Harm bridged his fingers, thinking, as he watched her put the report and all that was attached into her briefcase. "Is that what you believe?" he asked slowly, already knowing what her response would be.  
  
"I think you already know better than that, sir." Snapping the case shut, she retrieved her purse and keys. "These..." Meg tapped the case, "...will be revealed to you when I get to your office within the next few hours. Right now, I have a meeting with Commander Ryan and crew." It wasn't that she was dismissing him, it was more like, duty calls. "You'll find the documents releasing the contents of the safe into my possession on the corner of the desk."  
  
Harm nodded once, an indication she was dismissed, and that he understood she knew although the entire office and its contents were now a part of the investigation, she had gone through the proper authorities to gain access to retrieving them. Now all he could do was watch her leave him... again.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Deleware  
  
9:06 a.m.  
  
"I don't want to hear about your incompetancies. You have it completed by the end of the day or you'll be crawling around, begging for a job to lick the soles of my shoes." Lyle terminated the connection of his cell, a smirk forming. He loved to use his authority. Use? Or abuse.  
  
Like father, like son, he mused. Leaning back into the leather chair, he plopped his feet on top of the desk, looking around at the decor. Stale, dry. Remnants of a generation or two gone by. Not as modern as his.  
  
In a way it was a reflection of themselves on how they ran things. One slow, steady, with a firm hand. The other, quick, fast and simple. Certainly no time these days to wait for things to happen. If it's not working, get rid of it now before it brings you down. Sometimes he had to show the old man how it was done.  
  
Parker. Well he was certainly more interesting than that old fool he had called 'father' while growing up that now sat in a jail cell where he belonged. At least here at the Centre, Lyle finally had the respect and fear of those who worked for him. Sure 'dad' Parker had a lot to do with it, being in the position he was, but even dad at times ran into walls. The walls of the Triumverate.  
  
Then there was his 'sister'. She just had an aura around her that people paid attention to. She didn't need to demand their loyalties, she just expected it. But, then again, this same woman seemed to have turned soft over the past six months. Her priorities seemed to have drifted from that of the capture of Jarod to well... living a life. And, she even had one... for a little while. Miss Parker even went so far as to beg dad to let her out of her contract in finding Jarod so she could move away with Tom.  
  
Lyle scowled a little remembering how he felt when she had threatened to leave their little family oriented operation. Dad certainly was not going to stand for it, let alone The Tower. So necessary steps had to be taken to make sure she didn't leave. Now with the death of Tom, she had nothing left so she returned 'home.'  
  
His mind drifted from his thoughts of his sister to the woman who blew through the double doors into the office. She stood there a moment, blinking at him, as if trying to register why 'he' was in the office... in that chair.  
  
"Where's my husband?" she demanded, her voice cold, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Brigitte stood there in the middle of the room holding files in one hand, her other rubbing gently over her belly. Being a few weeks pregnant had heightened her aggressiveness level a few notches.  
  
Lyle didn't move, his eyes ran down the length of her body and back up again, noting in her eyes that she was aware of what he wanted. "My father was called into an emergency meeting by the Tri, but I think he stopped off to see Miss Parker." He smirked. "Should be a couple hours before he comes back."  
  
"How unfortunate." she almost whispered. He had to strain to hear her. Turning, Brigitte looked like she was going to walk out on him, but instead, she had locked the doors to the office. Now it was her turn to look sly.  
  
"I have a sudden craving I need you to fulfill."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Outside the Building of the Judge Advocate General  
  
0920 Hours  
  
Jarod popped in the DSA, sitting back in the car seat of the rental to watch the black and white scene that played out before him.  
  
"What are they doing, Sydney?" The younger version of himself asked as he observed a pair of twins undergoing a memory test.  
  
"They're taking a special test, Jarod." Sydney replied, his hand moving to Jarod's shoulder to steer him back in the direction of the sim lab.  
  
Jarod cast another glance back over his shoulder at the identical twins, two teenage girls, then up at Sydney as they started to walk away. "What makes twins so special, Sydney? Why are you so curious about them?"  
  
"Many scientists believe that there is a special 'link' that exists between twins, unlike regular siblings." The 'young' Sydney explained patiently. "The mystery lies in discovering how that link operates, how twins can be so similar and yet so different."  
  
Jarod paused the DSA on the close-up of the twins, who had just happened to look up at the same moment, caught by the camera. Identical, and yet not. The same "package" on the outside, but very different hopes and dreams on the inside. "The mystery..." he repeated aloud to himself, "...is discovering how that link got buried and hidden, Sydney."  
  
Closing the silver case and locking it, Jarod climbed out of the rented vehicle then glanced up at the building in front of him. His new home for the next week or so.  
  
****  
  
Harm's Apartment  
  
0925 Hours  
  
It didn't happen often. Just once in a great while, but as always, it carried a sort of... creepy sensation. Kate shivered even though it must be near ninety degrees out, and she involuntarily glanced over her shoulder as she headed for her car. It was just like always; no one there.  
  
Tossing her purse into the passenger seat, she climbed in and stuck her keys in the ignition. But this time, the feeling persisted. It wasn't exactly like... being watched. It was more like... well, it was silly really. It felt like a familiar presence. It was odd and yet... somehow familiar enough to almost be comforting. As always, the moment passed, and she turned the key in the ignition.  
  
Her thoughts drifted back to the previous evening. It was so good seeing her ex-partner, her friend, Harm again. They had gone through a lot of ups and down together in the past but always remained friends through it all, lending support to the other when needed.  
  
Last night was like a getting-to-know-you-again evening as they caught each other up on the events of their lives over the past year. They shared a bottle of wine and watched the two candles burn into almost nothing into the wee hours of the morning before turning in.  
  
Now as he was at work, she decided to go shopping for a few hours prior to meeting him for lunch. With a final glance into the mirror to make sure no one was behind her, Kate pulled her car away from the curb.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Deleware  
  
9:26 a.m.  
  
"Angel?" Mr. Parker frowned a moment. "Still with me, Angel?"  
  
Miss Parker glanced up at her father, blinking a moment. She didn't quite know where she'd gotten off to; a momentary lapse in concentration. She mentally kicked herself; such lapses could get her killed. "Yes, Daddy," she replied smoothly, "of course I'm with you."  
  
"Good. Then I'll expect your report on your latest leads as scheduled."  
  
Parker watched as her father walked from her office; only after he was gone did she allow herself a small sigh. Her attention had been distracted by a momentary feeling; a brief thought that someone she knew was nearby.  
  
"Of course someone you know is nearby." she chided herself. "This is the *Centre*." There were more eyes and ears here than in a stadium full of people, it seemed like.  
  
Still, she almost couldn't help but glance out her window, as if she expected to see this someone out there waiting for her. Of course, there was no one.  
  
'Might as well go see what Mr. Broots is up to.' Snatching up her cigarette case, she sighed to herself, promising she would quit again soon. With the pressure of knowing who had killed Tommy, she had caved and taken up smoking once again after having quit for 10 months.  
  
Broots attempted feebly to type, but to no avail. He wasn't sure if it was the soft sweet smell of her perfume intermingled with the smell of her cigarettes, or the fact that she was intimidating as she leaned over his shoulder to watch him type this message for Jarod.  
  
"Syd always thinks I don't know about how he contacts Jarod every few days via this...." Miss Parker waggled her finger at the computer screen. "...this internet."  
  
Broots had just finished typing the message when Parker had come up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder to tell him he had misspelled 'correspondence', nearly making him jump out of his skin. Sydney had come to Broots and asked him to send Jarod a message at a specified time, as Sydney couldn't get away himself to do it. Mr. Raines had requested his presence for a discussion regarding one of their pretenders who was refusing to eat. Miss Parker had startled Broots at precisely the moment he was preparing to send the message.  
  
"Miss Parker!" he had exclaimed sharply. But he had long since given up on trying to tell her she shouldn't sneak up on people like that. She never listened anyway.  
  
"What's Jarod's turnaround time on replies?" Parker demanded, flicking the cherry of her cigarette into his coffee mug. She watched him hit, 'send'. Broots' jaw dropped; so much for that cup of coffee.  
  
"I....I....d...don't know." he stuttered, picking up his mug and getting up to take it over to the sink. "I usually don't send Jarod mail; that's Sydney's department."  
  
Parker walked slowly toward Broots, deliberately swaying her hips, noticing that he was staring at her legs. She stood in front of him now, and looked into his eyes.  
  
"You wouldn't be lying to me, now, would you?"  
  
Broots' heart quickened, and he tried to back away from her but the counter prevented his escape. "I...I would never lie to you." he stammered.  
  
She stared into his eyes a little longer, enjoying the reaction her closeness produced. She noticed a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.  
  
His eyes darted from side to side, perhaps checking to see if anyone was witnessing this, because certainly no one would believe that the Miss Parker had pinned him up against a counter. None of their business as to the real reason why. He almost wished he had a video camera recording it.  
  
Parker inhaled on her cigarette, savoring it, then slowly blowing the smoke into his face. "I hope you never betray my trust in you." With that, she quickly turned on her heel and walked out of his small office.  
  
Broots stood there a few moments, listening to the click of her heels on the marble floor. He could still smell her lingering perfume, and he closed his eyes, breathing it in deeper. A sudden noise startled him out of his reverie, and he turned around quickly and splashed his face with cold water from the sink.  
  
Pouring himself a new cup of coffee, he thought about having to tell Sydney that Miss Parker had caught him in the act of e-mailing Jarod. What's he gonna think about that? He took a gulp of the coffee, barely even noticing the taste of cigarette ashes, his mind replaying the scene again as he thought about the version he was going to tell his buddies.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Judge Advocage General  
  
OPS  
  
0943 Hours  
  
Bud suddenly darted into the room, slamming the door and then leaning against it as if in hopes of keeping whatever spooked him out. "She's coming..." he puffed.  
  
"Who's coming?" smiled Harm. Bud had a way of over-reacting.  
  
"She sir, the Commander and she looks like she's on the war path." Bud looked at Harm with eyes that said, 'you better get out while you can.'  
  
"Little early for her to emerge from her den, isn't it?"  
  
"SIR!" Bud gasped. Harm smirked. "But SIR ! You said to warn you if she came looking for you!" A look of panic covered his features.  
  
"Sure Bud, but I didn't mean we had to be put on Defcon 3."  
  
Roberts' expression dropped, a few seconds later a look of confusion overtook it.  
  
A muffled yell could be heard from the other side of the door. "Lieutenant, get away from the door!"  
  
Bud tried desperately to think of a subtle way of backing away from the door, trying to make it look like he was not preventing her from entering. There had to be some way he could bail without being caught in the cross-fire.  
  
Finally he just opened the door, beating a hasty departure and letting Commander Krennick in. Harm sank deeper into his chair. This is going to be a long morning.  
  
Not even five minutes after her departure, Harm Rabb looked disgustedly at the pile of paperwork in his "in" basket and sighed. Half of the stuff would have to be sent up to Records, which was located in the same section as Legal Research. He picked up his coffee cup and sighed again....stone cold. Time for a refill.  
  
He came out of the office just in time to see an unfamiliar officer approach from Bud's desk. Harm continued on to the coffee maker, and the other man came closer. He poured himself some coffee, then glancing up at the newcomer, offering a cup to him.  
  
Jarod shook his head. "No thank you, Commander." He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a Garfield Pez dispenser. "Would you like one?"  
  
Harm glanced up curiously from his coffee at this officer. Lieutenant Commander, he noted idly. The fellow's expression was as open and honest as... as a child's, really. Harm wondered at that a moment; it was unusual enough in the average person, let alone a military officer.  
  
"The cherry ones are really the best." Jarod grinned.  
  
Harm finally chuckled a little bit. "No thanks. I'll stick to my mug of mud, thank you." Harm held out his hand. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Rabb."  
  
Jarod accepted Rabb's hand in a firm grip, the smile remaining on his face. "Hi. Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes. I was assigned temporarily to assist on a case." Harm's eyebrows lifted slightly, his face taking on a somewhat curious expression.  
  
"Hayes?" Rabb inquired, almost missing Jarod's comment about his assignment.  
  
Jarod nodded.  
  
Rabb beckoned Jarod to follow him into the inner office. "What case was that, now?"  
  
"Let me guess." Jarod smiled. "Your CO didn't inform you that I was arriving today?"  
  
"No, actually, he didn't." Harm admitted as he pushed open the door.  
  
"Well, you know how it goes... probably got lost in the system somewhere. I'm sure the paperwork will catch up to me."  
  
"Yeah..." Harm shook his head. "About the time you leave here, it'll show up on my desk."  
  
Jarod looked around the small but bright little office and then gestured to one of the leather chairs. "May I?"  
  
"Certainly." Harm came around to his own chair and settled into it, taking a sip of his coffee. "My partner is at an early deposition and will be back soon." Harm moved some files aside. "I'll check with the Admiral later on that assignment. I'm sure he has it somewhere. In the meantime, you might as well bring me up to speed."  
  
"The CHINFO assigned me to look into a high-profile DoD case involving a young naval officer who was found in her office yesterday. Said that you were the man to talk to, since you're the lead man on this particular case."  
  
"Right, the Collins' case. Suicide they say but I happen to believe she was murdered to tell the truth, but the evidence that says otherwise is very strong. It'll be an uphill battle to say otherwise." Harm swallowed more coffee, letting the warm liquid jump start his brain, and suddenly he frowned. "What's the CHINFO all excited about a deceased lieutenant for?"  
  
Jarod knew the commander was playing with him, probing to see how much he really knew. "Chief's been noticing lately that there have been several accusations flying around DoD's top men about a particular project called the Sea Raptor." Jarod spoke softly, almost as if he were trying to keep someone else from overhearing their conversation. "There was supposed to be some big meeting today to release the classified information and now all of a sudden she decides to commit suicide?" He let the sentence hang to see if Rabb was as smart as Jarod hoped he was.  
  
Harm set down his coffee cup, curious at Jarod's conspiratorial tone. "And he thinks this case might have something to do with her... death?" he asked thoughtfully.  
  
Before Jarod could elaborate, however, the office door swung open and a Marine Major hurried into the room. Jarod stood to his feet quickly, noticing only too late that he was still holding the Pez dispenser.  
  
"Something wrong, Mac?" Harm noticed the dark look on her face.  
  
"I just spent over an hour waiting on Jefferson to come conduct this deposition....he never showed up."  
  
Harm grinned. "That's what you get for having to deal with civilian lawyers, Mac." He motioned toward Jarod, who offered her his hand. "Commander, this is my partner, Major Sarah MacKenzie. Mac, this is Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes."  
  
Sarah took the hand Jarod held out to her, noticing amusedly that the Pez dispenser had been shuffled to a pocket. "Commander." she greeted him briefly, then sidestepped him to face Harm.  
  
"Major." Jarod replied, a smile on his face. He sat back down, not wanting to interrupt.  
  
"They're gonna have to reschedule. That's the third time this week, Harm."  
  
"Look at it this way...." Harm shrugged. "When this goes to trial, you can call for an extension based on disclosure and hang him up for a couple of weeks."  
  
"Very funny." Sarah glared at him.  
  
"Well, it was just a thought." Harm chuckled.  
  
Jarod watched as Sarah ducked out momentarily to the next office and quickly ransacked her desk for several needed files, and then headed for the door again.  
  
Harm shook his head, wondering how she managed to keep track of anything on that desk. "Trying for round two?" He called out to her as she scurried by.  
  
"I have to prep a witness for the Connor case. I'll be back in an hour or so." Sarah glanced at Jarod. "Nice to meet you, Commander."  
  
Jarod stood up again, the smile still on his face from their first introduction. He wanted to say something to her other than the standard 'nice meeting you', but by the time he thought of anything, she was gone.  
  
"You have a very.....interesting partner." he remarked, and Harm laughed.  
  
"Yup, she's one of a kind, all right." Rabb agreed. "Exceptional lawyer, though." Harm picked up a pen and idly tapped the edge of his desk with it. "So the Chief wants a possible link investigated.....what else?"  
  
"Lieutenant Collins' claimed to have evidence that would prove what they're doing was wrong. Part of my assignment is to see if I can discover that evidence. If her death was connected, Chief wants to know who and why they murdered her."  
  
"Well, welcome to the nuthouse." Harm grinned. "I'll have Bud get a desk set up for you, and we'll get you settled in. Then we'll pull--" There was a rap on the door, and Rabb called out, "Come in." Bud Roberts, speak of the devil, poked his head around the door.  
  
"Sir, the Commander wants to see you. Says it has something to do with that marine investigation. I think she wants to make a deal with you, sir."  
  
"All right....uhm......" Harm stood up and he quickly downed the rest of his coffee. "Bud, why don't you take the Lieutenant Commander here on a tour, get him familiar with the place, and get him set up at a desk out there. When I get back," Harm glanced at Jarod, "we can pick this back up."  
  
"Yes, sir." Bud agreed, pushing open the door and motioning for Jarod to follow him. "Right this way, sir."  
  
"Thank you, Lieutenant." Jarod exited the office after Roberts, and Harm watched them go a moment before gathering his thoughts to go see the commander.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Judge Advocate General  
  
Boardroom 3C  
  
1401 Hours  
  
Sarah watched Harm walk into the conference room, followed immediately by Commanders Krennick and Hayes. She could see the frustration in his eyes, although his expression showed otherwise. Mac knew about the unique friendship Harm and Allison shared. It was a cat and mouse, love-hate, but never-the-less stand by each other through thick and thin type. She had witnessed a few times the two butting noses and could have sworn their friendship was over, but in the end they always respected each other's decision. Mac wondered at times if there was a previous relationship between the two.  
  
"Commander, I am not going to let it drop. That young kid was influenced by his commanding officers and I'm not going to let him be the scapegoat for their pranks."  
  
"Harm, he's not only been charged with drunk on duty, he's also been charged with Sec 933, Art 133..."  
  
"Conduct unbecoming? That's bull commander." He stopped suddenly, and Krennick had to dodge at the last minute to keep from crashing into him. He turned slowly and looked down at her. "That marine had nothing to do with what his commanding officers pulled. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I intend to prove it."  
  
"Seems to me his CO was setting him up." Jarod shrugged. He had listened to their bantering the moment Rabb left his office and waved him to follow.  
  
Allison looked like a pit snake eyeing her prey when she turned her cold gaze from Rabb to this lieutenant commander that Harm felt he needed to have around for this meeting.  
  
"Sorry we're a little late." Commander Ryan glanced at her watch while striding into the meeting room. "Remind me to never schedule a meeting for after the lunch rush hours again. That traffic is a killer." Dropping her brief case on the table, she opened it and pulled out a few manila file folders.  
  
"We? I just see you. I thought you were bringing in someone else..."  
  
Commander Rebecca Ryan glanced at her friend, smiling. "She'll be here soon enough, commander." Turning her attention to Sarah, "Heard you were at the crime scene this morning, Commander." It was more of a statement then a question.  
  
Harm raised a brow, "Yes ma'am. I wanted to see first hand what we were dealing with. It took some convincing to even get inside..."  
  
"MMm, yes I know. My apologies if Sgt. McDermott held you up."  
  
"No problem, ma'am. I was wondering though, why all the security?"  
  
The commander glanced at him, smiling in hopes of hiding the annoyance she felt with him for going to the crime scene without proper authority, without her authority. As far as she was concerned, this was her show. Although she did appreciate the initiative Rabb had demonstrated, she wanted to make sure there was no breach in security.  
  
Harm knew that within the structure of duty, friendship had no say in the way things were between them so he knew right off hand he was digging himself deeper with Ryan with every passing moment.  
  
Sarah squinted at Rebecca, sensing a, how could she even describe it? A challenge? Most of what she knew about Commander Rebecca Ryan she heard from people associated with her, and what little Sarah read on Ryan's dossier prior to meeting. She knew the commander ran a very tight ship and expected nothing but the best from her officers, and at times she broke a few rules on the way to getting the results she expected to complete an investigation. Sarah also heard that it took a lot to gain the Commander's respect and trust.  
  
A few floors below, a naval lieutenant wandered into the open area of the Judge Advocate General's office. She walked up to the desk of a Lieutenant junior grade. Standing there, waiting for the young man to take notice, she smiled gently at the intense look on his face while he battled an on-going fight with his computer. "These things are cursed." she heard him say to himself. She looked at the small screen and noticed he was trying to print off a document he had just finished typing. Reaching over, she hit Ctrl P, selected the correct printer port and then the 'OK' button.  
  
A few seconds later, the sound of the laser printer had started. Bud glanced over at it while the sheets of paper slowly made its way out. "Thank you." he said earnestly. Turning around to see his savior, he saw a familiar tall blonde, dressed in Navy whites, reflecting once again the hot weather. "Meg!" he jumped out of his chair. "I mean, Lieutenant Austin."  
  
"Hello Bud. Been a long time." She grinned sheepishly at him. "How are things working for you here at JAG?"  
  
"Oh yes ma'am, it has been a long time. Thank you once again for recommending me to the Admiral."  
  
"No problem. I remembered you telling me you had an interest in law, so when the opportunity arose..." she trailed off with a smile. "How are your classes coming along?"  
  
Bud walked over to the laser printer to retrieve his documents. "I have an exam in a few days. The last time I was supposed to write this one, I had a little mishap and I guess that is why I feel a little nervous." He had what looked like a pout on his face.  
  
"A mishap?" Meg glanced at the clock on the far wall. 1405. "Hold that thought lieutenant, I need to get into that meeting. We'll talk later?"  
  
"I would like that."  
  
Austin picked up her case with one hand, and smoothed down her uniform with her other. She could feel her pulse start to race. Certainly couldn't be nervousness, she thought. I've worked with most of these people before. Glancing at her reflection in the office window, she ran her hand through her hair for a final touch up. Ahhh, but you never worked with his new partner before.  
  
Meg pushed the button for the elevator. Why do I always do this to myself? Always comparing myself to his partners, be it former or present. Its not like I have to prove myself, do I?  
  
The chime of the bell signaled the elevator was there to bring her to which ever floor she chose. She chose the fourth floor. Once off, she turned left and walked down the hall. Calm yourself now. This is just a preliminary meeting. You have all the information, and then some.  
  
A small knock was heard on the large oak doors to the briefing room. Lieutenant Meg Austin poked her head in before walking in on the group. "Sorry I'm late."  
  
"Lieutenant, I was starting to worry. I thought perhaps you forgot where the office was."  
  
"No ma'am."  
  
Harm jumped out of his chair, banging his knee on the oak desk, "Lieutenant Austin..." he nodded at her, "...nice to see you again."  
  
Meg sensed the 'duty first' and abided by the rules. "Commander." she nodded back. She then slowly scanned the meeting room, the old feelings of belonging were starting to seep back. Breathing in deeply, she saw Allison smiling. "Ma'am, nice to see you again."  
  
"Meg, how are things at NI?" Allison leaned forward to pour herself a glass of cold water.  
  
"The commander keeps me busy, ma'am." she jerked her head towards Ryan.  
  
A feeling of uneasiness overtook the room. Meg wasn't sure if it was just herself feeling this.. the new partner meeting the ex perhaps? Was she just imagining her eyes running over her, sizing up the competition? Wait a minute, what was she thinking.. there was no competition between the two. Sarah was his new partner, her replacement, and she had to deal with it. Meg wondered if Katelyn Pike had felt the same way when she herself replaced her.  
  
"You must be Major MacKenzie." Meg extended her hand.  
  
If Sarah's jaw dropped at the discovery of the identity of the woman before her, she recovered quickly. "Lieutenant, nice to meet you." she reached out and gave a firm hand shake. So this was the mysterious Meg Austin. 


	3. Chapter 3 *Fully loaded*

The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Delaware  
  
5:38 p.m.  
  
Miss Parker had returned, and Broots fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, once more acutely aware of her intimidating presence over his shoulder.  
  
"No, ma'am. Nothing yet." he replied in answer to her question concerning a reply from Jarod on the internet.  
  
"He usually doesn't take long." Sydney's voice interrupted, and he entered the room as Parker straightened away from Broots' chair. The psychiatrist did not often sound annoyed; he did now as he approached them. "Jarod is very prompt in responding to my messages."  
  
"What did you think, Sydney? That I wouldn't find out about this little lifeline?" Parker raised an eyebrow in cold curiosity. Sydney merely shrugged, not willing to get into a battle of wills with her just now. He was more interested in Jarod's reply. "What makes you think he knows anything about the Arsenal Project?"  
  
Sydney glanced at Parker curiously. Might've known she'd read it. "Arsenal was run as one of our simulations just a few months before Jarod escaped. It will still be fresh in his memory; actually I'm quite sure he discovered its true meaning and was part of the reason why he left." Sydney replied evenly. "Your father put Arsenal into motion several weeks ago; I'm hoping Jarod will help me to stop it."  
  
Miss Parker stiffened a moment; she was not used to crossing her father's wishes. But she herself was aware of the Arsenal Project, and knew that Sydney was right; it should be stopped if it could be. Finally she nodded. "Very well. I'll look the other way on this. If you can keep it from happening, do it."  
  
"Conscience, Miss Parker?" Sydney couldn't help it; Jarod would've asked the same thing. She shrugged a bit, the motion sliding her hair away from her face.  
  
"You wish." She brushed past him to exit the room. "You owe me for this one." Broots exhaled slowly as Parker left, glad the situation hadn't become confrontational.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sydney." he apologized. "She just kinda snuck up on me."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Broots." Sydney answered easily. "What Miss Parker thinks she knows will keep us all in the clear."  
  
"You think she doesn't suspect that Jarod came to you asking if The Centre had sealed the deal with the U.S. Navy regarding Arsenal?" Broots swung his chair around to face the older man.  
  
"Don't think so, at least not yet." Sydney waved his hand to dismiss the subject. "Broots, I have something extremely confidential for you to do for me." He leaned towards him. "No one is to know about this, not even Miss Parker."  
  
The intensity in Syd's eyes told Broots that he was entrusting him with this secret. "Of.. course."  
  
Sydney sat back and a moment later, produced three vials of blood from his inner coat pocket. "I need you to run an analysis on these, see if any of them... match." He looked into Broots' eyes to see if he understood the request.  
  
Broots' eyes widened. "But Syd, we already did a DNA blood analysis for Miss Parker, Lyle and Angelo and discovered that Lyle was her twin. Plus..." he continued in breathless excitement, "... plus the DSA of her mom, Catherine giving birth to twins!"  
  
"Broots!" Sydney tried to calm him down before someone noticed them huddled together. "This is important. Jarod requested that we do so." Jarod had provided two vials of blood simply marked 'Sample L' and 'Sample K' and had asked him to provide a sample of Miss Parker's blood which was easy enough to retrieve from the medical department. She had just completed a physical.  
  
"This has to do with Mr. Lyle, doesn't it."  
  
"I don't know, Broots. I'm sure though, that we'll all find out soon enough as to what Jarod is up to now." He patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Let me know as soon as you get the results."  
  
Dr. Greene stood up then to go back to his office to wait for Jarod's reply. Something was going on and he wondered briefly if one request had to do with the other.  
  
~*~*~  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
Falls Church, Virginia  
  
1812 Hours  
  
Jarod tidied up his desk, and reached for his "cover". He had plenty of work to do tonight; he was going to have to get started soon. He glanced up as Bud Roberts came around the corner.  
  
"You're here late, sir." Roberts commented curiously.  
  
Jarod smiled. "Just getting a jump on tomorrow's workload." The 'commander' responded casually as he picked up his notebook.  
  
"I know you're only here on temporary assignment, so I'm sure you've been given quarters in the BOQ--" Bud started.  
  
"Well, actually, my paperwork hasn't come through yet, so I don't have anyplace assigned to me. I was going to ask you if you knew of a good hotel someplace nearby." The one he had been staying in was quite the distance away from the office.  
  
"Sir, you don't need to do that. Why don't you stay with me? I've got a fold-out couch, and it'll save you some money." Bud offered.  
  
Jarod nodded. "Why, thank you, Lieutenant. That's very gracious of you." He followed the lieutenant j.g. out the door, putting his cover on and tucking the notebook under his arm.  
  
Roberts grinned. "You're welcome, sir."  
  
"We're off duty, now.....call me Jarod."  
  
"Yes, sir.....uhm....Jarod." Bud said tentatively. The two of them headed for the parking lot, and Bud motioned toward his car--a little Volkswagen "beetle", still in service despite it's battered appearance. Roberts squinted a moment at Jarod's tall frame. "It may be a little bit of a tight squeeze, but the drive isn't very far."  
  
"It's fine, Bud." Jarod also practiced the "name-thing"; he was usually very good with names, which sometimes surprised him with all the traveling and new faces he encountered. "I've been in tighter places."  
  
The drive to the legal aide's apartment was indeed short--a mere ten minutes' worth. Bud juggled his keys and cover momentarily, then led Jarod to his apartment. It wasn't very large as far as apartments went, but it was neat and well-ordered. That came as something of a mild surprise to Jarod, given what he had observed about Roberts' well-meaning but often ill- fated efforts around the office. Bud tossed his cover onto the small kitchen table.  
  
"Make yourself at home, sir.....I mean....Jarod. I'm just going to check my mail." Roberts ducked back out the door and down the stairs, briefly thinking about how happy he was that Harriet had insisted to her weathy parents that she was quite happy living in 'their' quaint little apartment.  
  
Jarod sat down on the couch, setting aside the silver briefcase and taking stock in his surroundings. There was a picture on an endtable, next to a lamp, of Bud and a blonde ensign from some formal function or other; Roberts was in his dress whites and the ensign was dressed in a light blue gown.  
  
There was a small "meow", and a cat suddenly appeared from the bedroom, curiously approaching the newcomer. Jarod smiled and reached down a hand. The cat sniffed at his fingers curiously, then began to purr as he scratched the animal behind the ears.  
  
"Oh, that's Mimi. She's my wife's cat. Hope you're not allergic." Bud appeared in the doorway with a handful of mail, and closed the door behind him.  
  
"No.....I love animals." Jarod picked up the cat and continued scratching; the pet settled contentedly in his lap, still purring.  
  
"Sounds like a boat motor." Bud remarked. "Loudest purr I've ever heard on a cat." Jarod chuckled. Bud sorted through his mail, grimacing a bit. "Bill.....bill.....bill ...... Harriet!" he suddenly exclaimed, dropping most of the mail on the table to open a small card.  
  
"Harriet?" Jarod inquired curiously. He assumed that Harriet was the ensign in the picture. He was not wrong.  
  
"Ensign Harriet Roberts. She....uhm.....is my wife." A slight flush covered his cheeks and he felt the need to explain. "I know... we live together... it's just that... she sends me love letters in the mail to remind me that she loves me."  
  
Jarod smiled, and Bud couldn't help but smile in return.  
  
Bud quickly scanned the contents of the card, and he smiled. Setting it aside, Roberts opened his refrigerator. "Uhm....not much in here. Do you like pizza?"  
  
"Pizza? Sure, that's fine." Jarod agreed, still playing with the cat. "Where is Harriet?  
  
"She's having dinner with her folks tonight." Bud answered then went about his business to order dinner allowing Jarod some space to settle in.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Harm's Apartment  
  
1938 hours  
  
Several minutes after parking his vette, Harm was fumbling for his apartment keys while balancing a bag containing the ingredients for a chef salad. It had taken all of his will power today to opt for a salad over a quick stop at one of Mac's favorite burger places, but he didn't think Kate would appreciate that.  
  
Entering his apartment, he immediately felt the coolness of the air conditioning, a huge contrast from the heat outside. Dumping the bag on the island counter, he turned around and saw mittened hands extending from around the corner of his bedroom wall.  
  
A giggle came from behind the wall now, and the little navy mittens started waving at him, then making motions of "come here". Rabb was intrigued now as more giggling could be heard. He knew that laugh! She was up to something.  
  
"You always said you wanted to see me in my mittens."  
  
"Kate?" he asked tentatively, trying to figure out what she was up to.  
  
"Anyone else you wanted to see in mittens?" Pike came around the corner into his line of vision.  
  
"Yes, but you should also recall that I had said just your mittens." He laughed now, recalling the conversation they had at SeaTac a few years ago. Stepping back, he gave her the once-over. She was wearing a floral summer dress that she bought today, unusually short for her standards, but he liked the new look. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her feet were bare. "You're looking great as usual."  
  
"Hoo-oh yes. It's that salt air; does wonders for the complexion." She referred to her position in Okinawa.  
  
"I wasn't expecting you until later. Thought you would still be out buying out the shopping malls."  
  
"Well, I could leave and come back later if that's what you want." She made motions of heading for the door.  
  
Harm reached out, quick as a cat, and grabbed her wrist. "Oh, no you don't. I'm gonna keep you while I can."  
  
Kate laughed out loud. "Promises, promises."  
  
"Yip." He motioned for the chair near the counter. "Have a seat and let me tell you about my day." He went on to explain how he got a chewing out by Commander Ryan and then went on to explain about Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes.  
  
"He's here on an inquiry basis?" Kate Pike swallowed the last of the wine in her glass. Reaching for the bottle, she poured herself another glass and motioned to Harm to see if he wanted a refill also.  
  
Harm, meanwhile was scurrying around the kitchen preparing dinner. He was making lemon chicken and the sauce was just starting to thicken up. The rice was nearly completed and he was attempting to finalize the salad at the same time. Out of the corner of his eye he caught her signal for a refill and nodded. "He and the CHINFO thinks there is something fishy with the Collins' case."  
  
"So, what's he like?" she inquired while pouring wine into his glass and placing it within arm's length of him.  
  
Rabb raised a curious brow. "On the look-out are you?"  
  
Kate smiled sweetly, "Well I can't wait for you forever."  
  
He paused a moment before answering her. "He has a sense of innocence about him. It's hard to believe he made Lieutenant Commander."  
  
She laughed out loud. "Why? Do you think that everyone in the Navy has to be a headstrong, hardened crusty old man?"  
  
"Hey! I'm not old."  
  
Kate laughed again and then raised a brow to the obvious retort. She was not going to fall for it, not this time anyway. Time to change the subject. "I think that you should invite Sarah and Jarod out for dinner tomorrow night."  
  
"I don't know." He started to dish out the dinner into the two plates.  
  
"Oh live a little." She shook a finger at him. "Get out, relax, have a good time. Stop being a hermit. Besides, I would love to meet your new partner."  
  
"I've rarely socialized with my partner outside of the office, and who says I'm a hermit?" He took on a look of wounded pride. "I get out, what do you think? I'm going to wait for you forever?" Harm winked at her. "I'll see what I can do."  
  
Harm was quiet for a few moments, his mind drifting back to Meg Austin. "Can we invite Meg too?"  
  
"Meg? Meg Austin? She's here???" Kate reached over and swatted him the arm. "She's here and you didn't even tell me?"  
  
"I just told you!" he smirked at her.  
  
"Yes, of course we can. I would love to see her."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Meg Austin's Apartment  
  
2133 Hours  
  
Meg wandered around the living area, reviewing the file once again. She wanted to make sure she knew everything possible about the Sea Raptor and its design flaws so if anyone asked any possible question, she would be ready with an answer. The unfortunate thing though, was that she was not as knowledgeable as Samantha when it came to Research and Development.  
  
The two of them were a perfect team, she had the legal knowledge, not to mention her training as weapons specialist, Samantha had the R&D knowledge.  
  
Together, they were to present the report that would expose the military for rushing to complete a project that was clearly not ready. How could they install so willingly a project that had failed its tests many times over? The Arsenal would bring nothing but death to those who were not properly trained to by-pass the main router should it fail, and it had failed, resulting in the death of 3 men that the Navy quickly covered up.  
  
Meg thought about the briefing earlier today that had caught their new 'team' up to speed as to what they were into. Rebecca, Sarah, Harm, Allison, some LC named Jarod the CHINFO asked to get involved, and herself.  
  
Harm.  
  
After all these years, they had finally come face to face and not once did he ask her as to why she left so suddenly. Perhaps he knew, as well as she, that the timing was not quite right to get into that discussion.  
  
Then again, was she prepared to answer that question when the time came? Would he even ask? No. No she answered. She could not answer that question yet. Too much depended on whether she told him or not and right now she was not ready to sacrafice her reasons why.  
  
Picking up her glass of wine, Meg wandered out onto the balcony to enjoy the sunset. The sky was coloured an orange/blue hue and the bright ball of fire sank lower until the building across the way hid it completely from sight.  
  
It had been her own decision to transfer out of JAG three years ago. It had taken a lot of convincing for Admiral Chegwidden, whom at that point, she had only worked under a few months, to let her go. Especially for an immediate departure with no notice. Her rare circumstance prevented anything otherwise.  
  
The first few months she was away was extremely hard on her, especially being alone at her new assignment. Eventually the pain lightened and life seemed to go back to normal. Well as normal as it possibly could considering the circumstances.  
  
Finishing her glass of wine, Meg returned back to refill it before settling in once again with the piles of files scattered around the table.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Outside Meg Austin's Apartment  
  
2134 Hours  
  
Hawkes stared at the tall blonde through the Navy issued binoculars. He swore softly at himself. How could he have mistaken the other woman for this one. There was something about her that caught his attention. He watched her sip on her glass of wine and wondered what she was thinking about.  
  
He shook his head, biting down on his bottom lip. She was his target and he couldn't afford to get distracted by her looks. Tomorrow he would have to go into her apartment to set up surveillance, to see what exactly she knew. To see if she had made any connections to the men.  
  
He went back to watching her. His contact called him earlier giving him a time of where she would be so that he could get a visual on his target. They had also couriered a copy of her file to him most likely in hopes that he wouldn't screw up again.  
  
Rolling the window down further, he spit outside, a low rumbling growl coming out from within. He hated when they tried to rub his face in mud making him aware that he was not as great as they were. If this was so true, why were they the ones asking for his services?  
  
Now he watched her go back inside and he would have given anything at that moment to watch her or hear what she was up to now. Sighing, he continued to review her file. He wanted to know everything he possibly could about this intriguing woman.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Delaware  
  
8:43 pm.  
  
Parker sat curled up in the oversized chair in one of her private secure offices. One of her sanctuaries from the rest of the Centre when she needed. She glanced at the pack of cigarettes she had thrown carelessly on the coffee table earlier. No, not desperate enough to get up to get them… yet. Instead she went back to looking through a little scrap book.  
  
Her mother was indeed a beautiful lady, and she felt a sense of pride that she took after her. Parker twirled a strand of hair around her fingers, staring into the eyes of her mother in the picture trying to decipher what she may have been thinking of during the moment the flash went off. Was she happy? Was she scared? There seemed to be a sense of sadness in the depths of green.  
  
The shrill of the telephone made her jump out of her reverie. She glared at the phone. Uncurling herself from her position, she snatched it up on the third ring. "I told you, no interruptions!" she snapped. What she heard, was the gentle voice of a man, not the trembling voice of an insubordinate shaking in his boots.  
  
"I don't seem to recall you telling me that."  
  
It was Jarod. Parker spun around, instinctively glancing out the window, partially hoping he was somewhere near. "Well, if you were here, you would know." Those cigarettes were now getting another glance over, the need to terminate one of their little lives was getting stronger.  
  
"Now if I were, you would be totally bored with nothing to do."  
  
"I can live with that. Where are you?"  
  
"Let's just say that I'm a little bit closer to discovering what your mother's secret is." He could hear a flicker of a lighter, probably to light up one of her cancer sticks.  
  
"What secret was that?"  
  
"The secret as to why she was so sad." It was Parker's turn now to hear the chime of a doorbell in the background, and it was a moment later that she heard a faint voice of a man asking Jarod where he would like to eat his pizza. "Time for me to go, we'll talk again soon. Now don't go missing me too much."  
  
Before she could snap off a retort, she heard the sound of a disconnecting phone line. "Damn him." Slamming down the phone, she wandered back to her chair, picking up the scrapbook once again. One thing she and Jarod had in common… the mysteries surrounding their mothers. Jarod, what game are you playing with me now? 


	4. Chapter 4

~*~*~  
  
Meg's Apartment  
  
8:48 a.m.  
  
The man slid quietly into the apartment. The sun was dancing around in the living room, he was not about to take his sunglasses off. He pulled his right glove off and reached into his coat pocket, while looking around the little apartment. He smirked because she left her breakfast dishes in the sink, unwashed. The apartment still smelled of soap, probably from her shower, mixed in with a soft sweet smelling perfume. It wasn't long since she left.  
  
He rolled the item between his finger and thumb, looking around for the target. He found one in her bedroom and one placed on a shelf between the kitchenette and living room. She would most likely use the living room more. He cursed himself for not bringing more then one. Was he starting to slip? First disposing off the wrong lieutenant, now being unprepared for more then one phone? To make up for the lack of discipline, he quickly inserted the object. A thought came to mind, but that required him leaving the apartment and having to come back in, but in the end, it would be worth it, to hear everything that she does.  
  
Opening the door slowly, he glanced down the hall, both directions. Clear. He kept the door unlocked, then slipped out just as quietly as he went in.  
  
Hawke decided to take the stairs down to his van. So far he went undetected. He knew the video cams were surveilling the parkade, so he kept his face away from the lens. He was smart enough to park his van out of the camera's view. Once there, he grabbed the tiny little surveillance device and quickly went back up to her apartment.  
  
Opening the door again, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a tap on his lower back. "What the ..." he turned quickly, prepared to defend himself and found himself looking down upon a small boy.  
  
"Sorry mister, didn't mean to scare ya."  
  
"What do you want?" he snapped, trying desperately to conceal his face now.  
  
The little boy tried so hard to look like Hawke-better-not-mess- with- him, that Andrew almost smiled. He was wearing a Navy T-shirt at least three times the size of the kid. On it, it said Property of the US Navy.  
  
The kid jerked a thumb towards himself, "I want to know what yer doin in Lieutenant Austin's partament."  
  
Partament? Hawke grinned. The brat couldn't be more then seven. "I'm here to check out her phone lines, that's all kid. She's having problems."  
  
"Got yer paper's mister?" he placed his arms akimbo on his small hips.  
  
"Papers?" damn little monster. "Yeah I got 'em." Hawke pulled out a paper from his left breast pocket. "Here." he shoved it in the little kid's face, waving it frantically around. "Says here, phone problem in this here apartment, I'm here to fix it, now get. I think I hear your commanding officer calling for you."  
  
The kid, named Jayden, glared at Hawke for a few minutes, saying nothing, just staring. Hawke went back into the apartment and locked the door, more out of fear of killing the tyke then being caught by someone else. After calming himself, he got to work and placed the tiny cameras around.  
  
*~*~*  
  
J.A.G.  
  
1048 Hours  
  
Harm watched curiously through the window. Bud was beaming proudly as he helped the new lieutenant commander set up the temporary spare office. He and Hayes had just finished a theory discussion and now Jarod was setting up a spot nearby.  
  
Rabb sat back in his chair, rolling his pen between his fingers and thinking about Jarod's theory regarding Lieutenant Collins. He had thought she was being set up, being scared off for following through with exposing the Navy regarding Arsenal/Sea Raptor. The original plan was to set her up and let her take the fall for a drug deal but when that failed, they killed her.  
  
The military police had very little evidence proving she was involved with drug dealing. Their witness had sworn up and down that she was set up, but when the time came, he had suddenly settled into an "I don't know nuthin'" attitude and how the drugs got into her office only meant she was using.  
  
Maybe this Jarod Hayes had a point to his theory, but Harm would need more evidence to be completely convinced. Maybe he should pull the files and review them this afternoon, see if there was any shred of evidence that would support this new lieutenant commander's claim that Collins was innocent and this was indeed a scare tactic.  
  
Harm glanced back out the glass, noticed Bud returning to his desk, and he picked up the phone. Dialing the internal line, he listened to it ring twice before hearing, 'Lieutenant Roberts', and he looked up at the clock. 1114.  
  
"Bud, could you do me a favor and pull the files on Lieutenant Collins' and Ensign Robitaille?"  
  
"But sir," Bud stammered. "Those are Major MacKenzie's closed cases."  
  
"I know; I just want to check on something. It's something Commander Hayes and I are working on . Have those for me when I return from NI, would you?" Harm listened for the affirmative, hung up the phone and picked up his blazer, then headed out of the building. He wanted to go see Meg and ask her why she didn't inform them on this.  
  
Was that truly his reason for going? Or did he just want to see her again?  
  
~*~*~  
  
J.A.G.  
  
1354 Hours  
  
The particulars of the Collins court-martial covered most of Harm's desk as he studied the case files carefully, paying particular attention to the evidence presented and the testimony offered by Ensign Garrett Robitaille and the arresting MP's.  
  
The Military Police had been informed that Collins' had been doing drugs to which she fought against, protesting, saying that she was set up. She had a witness, Robitaille, claim that he saw someone near her office just moments prior. At the last minute, he had claimed he didn't know a thing, that perhaps he just saw a janitor or something. And now his service record says he is up for a transfer and a promotion.  
  
Mac really didn't have anything to work with. Harm sighed. He'd studied every detail to see if perhaps something had been missed, but as usual, Mac had been thorough and professional and.....well, had defended a losing case to the best of her ability. Harm began to reorganize the files, wondering just what it was the CHINFO had seen to prompt renewed interest in Samantha Collins. Other than her death, of course.  
  
Harm didn't like to be cynical, but there it was, and he shook his head. Maybe it was just that promotion. That still waved a red flag to him, that a still-wet-behind-the-ears ensign should be in a position for a promotion so quickly. But he hadn't been the one on trial, and the promotion had come after the trial.  
  
There were voices outside, and Harm glanced up through the glass. Sarah was back, and she was talking to Bud and Hayes, all of whom had taken late lunches and were just getting back. Quickly he stuffed the case files into his briefcase; he would look them over later.  
  
As he watched Sarah and Jarod, he thought about his lunch with Meg Austin. It really is good to see her. He reflected to himself. It seemed like ages ago that they were working together. Wherever she was stationed after she left, he observed, hadn't hurt her at all. He grinned unconsciously as he thought of how their waiter had boldly commented at how beautiful his wife looked and how it had made her blush.  
  
Jarod headed for his temporary desk, and Sarah turned toward his door. Harm shifted a bit in his chair, opening a folder and trying to look as if he hadn't just been watching them for the past five minutes.  
  
"Hi." he said, not glancing up from the folder.  
  
"You got a minute?"  
  
"Sure thing." he closed the folder and looked up at her giving her his undivided attention. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Can I ask what you're doing with my case files?" MacKenzie had closed his office door then sat down across from his desk in one of the provided guest chairs. When she saw him raise a brow, "Bud let it slip out during lunch when he told Hayes."  
  
"How come you didn't tell me you defended her?" Harm volleyed. He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms.  
  
Sarah bit her lower lip a moment, as if pondering how to explain. "When we were in that meeting with Chegwidden a few days ago when this case was first presented to us and I saw her picture, I couldn't quite place where it was that I seen her. It didn't click until Bud brought it up at lunch on who she was."  
  
Harm's brows shot up in the air. Little odd that she would have difficulties remembering a particular case, let alone one that had taken place about a month earlier. "Well to answer your question, Hayes and I are trying to see if we can come up with any connection to that and her 'suicide'."  
  
"If you two need any help, let me know." Mac shrugged.  
  
Harm nodded once, then as an afterthought, "Hey how'd the interview go?"  
  
"It went... right out the window. Connor's *material witness* says he didn't see a thing. Had no idea who planted that cocaine in Connor's footlocker. It was a disaster."  
  
"Wait a minute.....Lieutenant Connor swears this....who is it?"  
  
"Petty Officer Kendall. Ron Kendall." Mac supplied.  
  
"He swears this Kendall *saw* who set him up. And now Kendall's saying he doesn't know anything?" Harm leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen irritably on the edge of the desktop. "Sounds a lot like what happened in the Samantha Collins trial."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Mac gave him a strange look.  
  
"No witnesses for the defense. Everyone getting cold feet at the last minute."  
  
"You know, you're right about that. I thought we had something to go on here... but right now, as things stand, Connor doesn't have a chance." Mac sighed with frustration.  
  
"By the way, how did Samantha walk away?" He couldn't recall reading anything on how the case had been dropped.  
  
"Her father pulled rank I guess you could say. Claimed they had nothing on his daughter other then hear say, and she had clean records."  
  
"Her father?"  
  
"Yup, the CHINFO himself." Sarah looked at him as if he should have known this by now since he had the files.  
  
Jarod watched Sarah through the glass as she carried on her conversation with Commander Rabb. He then turned in his chair to observe Bud Roberts, who was trying vainly to change the ink cartridge in his computer printer. After a moment's thought, he got up and casually walked over to the lieutenant jg, who glanced up at him briefly in the middle of his struggle with the printer.  
  
"Something I can help you with, Commander?" Bud asked as he returned to the ink cartridge.  
  
"Looks like you're the one who could use the help. Here, let me see." Jarod leaned down as Bud straightened away from the printer. "Just lift this.....twist......and snap it in." The cartridge slid into place, and Bud blinked a bit.  
  
"Thank you, sir." he said gratefully, and Jarod closed the lid of the printer.  
  
"How long have you worked here at JAG, Lieutenant?" Jarod asked idly.  
  
Bud frowned a moment, as if thinking. "About 2 years now, I guess. Why?" Bud came back to his desk and prepared to print a document.  
  
"So....you've worked with Major MacKenzie awhile, then." Jarod glanced toward the office once again.  
  
"Well, yes, sir. We came aboard at the same time, sir."  
  
"Tell me about her. Does she have any hobbies?"  
  
"Hobbies?" Roberts looked puzzled for a moment.  
  
"What does she like to do?" Jarod wanted to know, and Bud blinked a bit.  
  
"I don't know, sir." he admitted. "The Major and I haven't exactly spent a lot of social time together." Roberts began collecting the pages that were now coming out of the printer.  
  
"Hmm......I see." Jarod nodded. "Well.....thank you, Lieutenant."  
  
He walked back over to his temporary station, looking once more in the Major's direction. This time Sarah just happened to glance out the glass, and he nodded quickly, then turned away, too embarrassed to observe the slight smile that came to her face. So he mentally disciplined himself for even thinking of it in the first place, and sat down to review the case notes MacKenzie had lent him on the Connor court-martial.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Bachelor Officer's Quarters  
  
1623 Hours  
  
Jarod fingered the combination once while glancing around the rest of the barrick room. Six men to one room. Six rooms to one floor, two floors. These BOQ's were for the officers who were transferred in from other military bases and were assigned here for temporary assignments, therefore, no point in assigning them permanent living quarters or for those who came in for some form of training. Connor, Kendall and Robbataille were all in the same building. Jarod also noted that each were on a six week training course.  
  
Walking back towards the box that was sitting on the edge of the personal desk of Lieutenant Connor, Jarod fingered through the items. Pictures, letters from mom and dad, couple of magazines and a little teddy bear scented lightly with perfume. He held the little bear up then sat back in the chair, looking towards Connor's personal belongings. Same basic items, family pictures, neatly placed in his locker, letter's stacked to one side, and a notepad with the beginnings of a what looked like a story scribbled on it. Below them hung his uniforms.  
  
Turning slightly, he eyed the living space of Ensign Robataille. His bed was not nearly as neatly tucked in as the rest of the officer's. Standing up, he walked over to the locker and pulled on the lock combination. It was secure. Sighing a little, he went back to the chair and sat down once again, still holding onto the little bear. He took a little sniff of it, inhaling the soft aroma. "Why would a little stuffed animal have a woman's perfume on it?"  
  
"It's usually a reminder to the man the woman gives the bear too of what type of perfume she wears. In a way, its a symbol of her love and something for him to remember her by."  
  
Jarod swung around to see Sarah MacKenzie leaning against the doorway, he smiled immediately. He wasn't sure how long she had been standing there. "How could a stuffed animal signify a person's love?"  
  
"Its cute, isn't it?" Sarah returned his smile. "Don't tell me you were never given a stuffed animal from a lady who adored you." She found it hard to believe he wouldn't have a few bears around his place from various ladies in his life.  
  
Jarod pondered the question a few seconds before answering. "I knew a little girl when I was very young, we were about the same age. She gave me her stuffed rabbit to take care of because she was afraid her father would take it away, does that count?"  
  
Sarah raised her brows, not sure of whether she was surprised he answered her, or that he only had one stuffed animal.  
  
"And how many have you given out?" Jarod asked.  
  
Sarah leaned towards him, "Between you and me, and this is totally classified, I will have to kill you if you tell anyone this." she winked. "Two. One to my uncle, and one to a boyfriend."  
  
Jarod tilted his head slightly. "Boyfriend?"  
  
"Someone from my past that I don't care to talk about actually." Nodding towards Robataille's bed, she asked. "What were you hoping to find?"  
  
Jarod took her lead to drop the subject. "I was trying to get a sense of what these men are like. Would it make sense to you that a young man who owns a.. bear would be involved in drugs?" to emphasize the statement, he once again dangled the little brown bear.  
  
"Now a days you never know who is involved. It could be you, it could be me, it could be the little 12 year old boy riding the bike down the street." Sarah walked over to the box of items and glanced through it also. It was then that she noted the little red notebook placed beside the box with the newspaper articles of Collins clipped out and pasted inside.  
  
Before Jarod could grab it, Sarah picked it up and glanced through it. Little notes of his findings here at the BOQ, notes of files he needed to see, questions written down on how Rabb or MacKenzie could be involved, possible connection? "What is this? Are we under investigation?" she almost spat the question out.  
  
Jarod closed his eyes, cursing himself for not being more on his toes. "No, not anymore. No, I mean not at all. I wrote that down before I even came to JAG."  
  
"You think because I couldn't defend her properly with the evidence stacked against us that I was part of her set up?"  
  
"NO Sarah, that's not it at all. When I read the article and what little information I had at the time, I wrote down my thoughts of the moment and tried to piece together as many combinations as I could as to what might have happened. My notes are my personal thoughts Major, and in no way were they meant to be accusatory let alone seen by anyone else." He didn't intend to sound irritated with her, just that he wanted to emphasize his point.  
  
"You're right, I'm sorry." The last thing she wanted to do was start anything that would make their working relationship on this assignment, strenuous.  
  
Jarod gathered his little notes, then placed the bear back in the box and scooped it up. "I think I'm ready to go back to the office now. By the way, what did you come here for Sarah?"  
  
"Two reasons, one was to see if you needed any help and the second was to see if you were busy tonight." She felt a little shy and wasn't sure how to even ask. After all, it wasn't a date, and what was a little dinner between friends? Harm and another one of his ex-partners, Kate were going to be with them.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Outside Harm's Apartment  
  
1904 Hours  
  
Jarod hopped out of the jeep and ran around to the driver's side to help Sarah out. "I appreciate you stopping by Lieutenant Roberts' place to pick me up." He gave her a kind smile.  
  
Sarah locked the door, then turned to face him, returning his infectious smile. "It was easier then trying to give you directions, and the last thing we need is an assignment to find an MIA officer."  
  
Knocking on the door, she smoothed down her dress once again. Geez you would think I was nervous or something, she thought. She was dressed in a straight cut plain tan dress that complimented her figure. The tan colour brought out the golden highlights in her short hair which was long enough to tuck back behind her ears. She wanted to look good, but didn't want to be overdressed and she silently hoped she managed to pull it off.  
  
Harm answered the door, a tea towel in hand. "Hi, you made it. Thought you two decided to skip out on the Harm-a-la-poisonous-creation for tonight." He was alright cooking for one, two at the most and he even had to admit he wasn't that bad at it, but for a dinner party? That was pushing the envelope. Why didn't he use Kate's method and cheat, order in?  
  
"Sorry Commander, I asked Sarah to stop by a pet store so I could pick up a little toy for Bud's cat." Jarod reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a stuffed mouse. "The owner said it was stuffed with something called catnip."  
  
Harm grinned, he could see it now. The cat buzzed on catnip and Roberts chasing it around trying to keep it out of trouble. He had similar circumstances cat-sitting a cat named Shadow a little while back. "Well come on in you two, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything to drink?"  
  
"Gingerale, if you got it." Sarah piped in while shrugging out of her coat that Jarod was helping her out of. Once he hung up both their coats by the door, they walked over to the couch. "Looks like it's all starting to come together." 'It's' was referred to the remodelling of an antique book shelf that was started almost two months prior.  
  
"About time too. Most nights I find myself wiped out to even look at it during the weekdays." Harm poured two glasses of gingerale and two glasses of wine, then gathered them together to walk over to the rest of the small group.  
  
"I see five glasses..." MacKenzie noted. "Where is your fifth guest?"  
  
As if on cue, Meg knocked on the door briefly glancing down at the scrawled address he had written down and given her at lunch earlier in the day. A moment later, Harm swung the door open and gave her a greeting smile.  
  
"Hey." she bit her lip once before continuing. "I.. um brought desert, wasn't sure what to bring." Meg held out a cheeze cake towards him.  
  
"Thanks, come on in. I'm sure you remember who's who from yesterday's briefing." He saw her nod once and gave them a gentle smile. "As for Kate, after helping make a mess in the kitchen, she went to freshen up." Harm sat down in an oversized chair next to the sofa.  
  
"A mess, huh?" Sarah teased as she accepted her glass of gingerale from Harm's hand. "Playing in the kitchen again?"  
  
"I don't know if I'd exactly call it... playing." Harm shrugged. "Well... as long as it's edible, I won't complain."  
  
"Your definition of edible and ours might be a little different." MacKenzie chuckled. Before Harm could protest, the third guest swept into the room from the glassed-in bathroom. Kate Pike was all smiles as she stepped 'out of concealment', so to speak.  
  
Harm looked up and grinned at her. "Nice of you to join us." he remarked. He had found a spot to settle in next to Meg on the love seat.  
  
Next to Sarah on the sofa, Jarod suddenly stiffened, and she turned to look at him. A moment later, he was on his feet, glancing at the door nervously. No doubt there's a sweeper team on the other side of the door, he thought to himself.  
  
"Jarod?" Harm asked, recovering from his surprise first. "Something wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost."  
  
Sarah stood up and walked over to Jarod who had moved over to the window, looking about wildly for something unseen. "Jarod?"  
  
He was unsure of what to say. "Miss Parker... " he said out loud without realizing it.  
  
"Excuse me?" Kate's brows knit together in a puzzled frown. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else." At least I certainly hope so, I would hate to cause that kind of reaction from someone.  
  
Harm glanced from Pike to Hayes, confused... and curious. "You two know each other?"  
  
"Yes--"  
  
"No--"  
  
Jarod and Kate answered at the same time. Jarod was suddenly a little less certain of himself. If this is Parker, just what kind of game is she playing?  
  
"Well..." Harm prompted, looking from one to the other. "Which is it?"  
  
Jarod's eyes had not left Kate's face. He was looking at her... intensely... in a manner that almost made Pike uncomfortable. Suddenly, in his scrutiny, Jarod realized this could not be Miss Parker, but her twin. There was something... different about this woman. More... perhaps innocent wasn't the right word. More... open. More honest. Softer? None of the hard shell of defense around her that Parker had developed over the years. "No." he finally said, relaxing ever-so-slightly. "We don't. She just... just reminds me very strongly of someone I know." He had only seen pictures of this woman in the Navy Times  
  
Harm grinned again as the moment passed and the tension drained away. "Then let me introduce you two to my 'first' partner, Lieutenant Kate Pike." He pointed to her. "Kate, this is Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes and my current partner, Major Sarah MacKenzie, and I know you know Meg."  
  
Katelyn Pike stretched out her hand to Sarah and then to Jarod. A perfect brow arching up once again as she looked at him. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Jarod smiled at her, seeing the look of mischief in her eyes. A fun loving free spirit, he noted.  
  
Sarah sat back down first, reaching for an appetizer that was sitting on the coffee table. "So Kate, you were one of Harm's partners too? How long did you last before you had enough of him and decided to move on?" She winked at her, noticing the look on Harm's face.  
  
Kate laughed out loud, deciding to dig in on the little appetizers of shrimp, mozza sticks and stuffed mushrooms. "Not even a few weeks. We were assigned one case together and then that was that. I was lucky that I was never partnered permanently with him. Unfortunately after that, there were two other times I was forced to work with him." she teased while winking at Harm.  
  
"So, what you're saying then..." Sarah started. "... is that I should bail out now?"  
  
"Run like hell, Sarah." Meg cut in. "Run like hell."  
  
"Wait just a minute here!" Harm exclaimed, looking deeply wounded. "What did I do to deserve such abuse? Nothing."  
  
"Hmph." Kate sniffed. Harm's eyes widened slightly.  
  
"I didn't!" he protested. "You were stolen from me, Meg transferred while I was away on assignment, and Mac here tried jumping ship by dumping us for a civilian firm before deciding it would be better for her to retain her commission."  
  
"I tried to stay away until I was going to be reassigned a new partner, but when Admiral Chegwidden said that you were the best that I was ever going to get, I had no choice but to concede and return." Sarah laughed. She was finally starting to unwind, and most of it was by Harm's expense. Tonight was going to turn out not so bad after all.  
  
After a round of laughter, Kate sat back and faced Jarod curiously. "So, you say I remind you of someone. Care to tell me about her?" She watched as Harm took this opportunity to check on dinner in the ajoining kitchen.  
  
"Well..." Jarod answered forthrightly, "...you may 'look' alike, but you don't 'act' alike."  
  
Kate's expression became slightly amused, and she sipped at her wine. "Oh? And is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" she prompted.  
  
Jarod's expression darkened for just a split second. "Oh, it's a good thing. Believe me, it's a good thing."  
  
"Sounds mysterious." Sarah said, also drinking some of her gingerale. "Old girlfriend?" Kate didn't quite know why, but she felt slightly... uncomfortable that Jarod should have a woman in his past that resembled her.  
  
"Mysterious... yes." Jarod affirmed, smiling at the major. "Girlfriend, no."  
  
"Ah... see... he's charming and single... my mother would be trying to marry us off right now." Kate laughed, and she found herself almost enjoying that thought. "Mom would want me to marry him on the spot if she'd ever met him." 


	5. Chapter 5

~*~*~  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Delaware  
  
8:14 a.m.  
  
Parker squinted her eyes and watched as Brigitte and Mr. Lyle walked towards Daddy's office. She hated the fact that the dastardly duo still walked around like they had reign of the Centre. She had hoped now that Daddy was back, that they would be booted out of here, but as of yet, that day had not arrived. Instead she discovered that 'he' was her brother and 'she' would become her step-mother. "I wish there was such a thing as arsenic flavoured lollipops and I wish she'd choke on one."  
  
Sydney stood behind her now, a small grin covering his features. "Now now, Miss Parker. We don't need another mysterious attempted murder hanging over our heads." He too watched the two walk towards Mr. Parker's office. Just before she entered, Brigitte flipped off a three finger salute towards them which only made Parker growl.  
  
"I would happily lay claim that I was the one who jammed it down her throat." Parker took a step backwards and then turned on her heel. "Please give me the good news that we have a lead on Jarod." They decided to take a slow walk in the main corridor, neither wanting to talk in their offices knowing that they could be bugged. Regardless of sweepers thoroughly giving the offices a once over and not finding anything, the feeling of 'not being alone' loomed about.  
  
"Broots got in contact with the Navy personnel, asked if any Lieutenant Commanders have been reassigned lately. He didn't get anything but a click in his ear when they hung up." Sydney put his hands together behind his back as he and Miss Parker slowly took a walk about. He smiled and nodded to a few employees that scurried past them. "You didn't catch a name?"  
  
"No. I got your brainchild, Angelo, to search through the papers and the internet within the past month for any articles that would spur our popeye the sailor to gobble down spinich to help some idiot in distress." The same people that Sydney smiled to, only got an icy glare from her.  
  
"I'll get him to take a look at the sketch also, see if he can pick up something." the doctor commented, referring to the sketch of the dog that Jarod had drew with the dog tag around its neck.  
  
Angelo had a special gift of having a sixth sense. He just had to touch something and he could 'see' something related to the object. Once he saved Broots' life by pushing him out of the way of the line of fire. He also figured out someone was out to kill him and was trying to set up Miss Parker in the process.  
  
Parker just waved him off. "Whatever, just find me Jarod." She left Sydney in the hall and decided to take refuge in her secret office. The office daddy had made for her a couple years back for when she needed to get away without really getting away.  
  
~*~*~  
  
J.A.G.  
  
Falls Church, Virginia  
  
0828 Hours  
  
Harm walked through the doors of the common area, his cover tucked under his arm and briefcase in hand. He whistled lightly as he went; Kate had played a Savage Garden CD at the dinner party last night and he could not get one of the songs out of his head. The worst part, he reflected briefly, was that he didn't know all of the words.  
  
"Good morning, Bud." He started past Bud Roberts' desk, then paused, backed up and looked down. On the desktop were four different Pez dispensers. "What happened to those 'brain nuts', Bud? You ditch 'em in favor of a good old fashioned sugar addiction?"  
  
Roberts looked up, simultaneously confused and exasperated, which made for a rather funny-looking expression on his face. "Power Nuts, sir. And no, I didn't give them up. These are Commander Hayes'. He was using my computer awhile ago."  
  
"Awhile?" Harm echoed. "How long've you two been here, anyway?"  
  
"Since 0600, sir. Commander Hayes was really insistent on getting an early start. Said something about the early bird staying two steps ahead of the hunter, whatever that means."  
  
Harm frowned a moment. This Jarod Hayes was certainly an interesting person. His reaction to Kate Pike last night had caught his attention. Whoever Kate reminded him of, couldn't be a very good association for Jarod. And there were little things... small innocently asked questions, misunderstandings over common slang, that made Harm curious. Could Jarod have really been raised in such a vaccuum as to not know about Darth Vader? Harm shook his head to himself as he recalled the short conversation about the latest Star Wars flick. Kate was a Episode 1 fan, and Harm had a certain fondness for the original 4, 5 and 6. When asked about his own viewpoint, Jarod had been completely clueless.  
  
"0600, huh? Well... do you know where he is now?" Harm glanced over to the makeshift station they'd set up for Jarod; he was nowhere in sight.  
  
"No, sir. He said he had to run an errand and that he'd be right back." Bud answered, moving the Pez dispensers to one side of his desk.  
  
"Well... when he gets back, give him one of your brain nuts and send him in, all right?"  
  
"One of my...? Oh. Yes, sir."  
  
Harm wandered back to his office and set his things down. He glanced through the things in his 'in' basket. What he was looking for--Hayes paperwork--was still not there. He frowned a moment. Maybe it was time to have a chat with the Admiral.  
  
Walking towards Chegwidden's office, he started to whistle that song in his head once again. He saw Tiner arriving at the same time he walked into the side office. "Morning. The Admiral available?"  
  
"No sir." replied Petty Officer Tiner. He shook off his coat then started to search vainly for his coffee mug. "Admiral is on leave for a couple of days. He said something about visiting a family memeber who needed his help."  
  
"On leave?" Harm raised a curious brow. "He didn't say anything about going on leave to anyone... did he? I mean we just talked the other day on an assignment and he didn't say a thing."  
  
Tiner shrugged his shoulders and brushed passed the commander. "Admiral's privilege." He had one goal in mind at that moment, and it was coffee.  
  
Harm turned to watch him walk off, then scrunched his face to mimic Tiner, mouthing 'Admiral's privilege.' How many times had he heard that in the last month?  
  
Jarod's fingers moved rapidly and precisely over the keyboard as he entered commands for the information he desired. Moments later, the personnel and service records of Ensign Garrett Robitaille appeared on the screen, and Jarod began to read through them.  
  
Robitaille was from Baker, Lousiana originally, the third in a family of eight children... five boys and three girls. From what Jarod could see of the ensign's personal background, the eight Robitaille children had been raised by their mother, Jeanette. It must have been a struggle for them, he reflected, but at least they had each other.  
  
Jarod picked up the silver briefcase that he carried with him wherever he went and placed it on the desk next to the computer. The case held thousands of simulations on mini compact discs. He selected a small minidisc dated December, 1967, then slid it into the player that was nestled inside. His dark eyes focused on the black and white images that appeared on the viewer.  
  
"Sydney..." Jarod watched his younger self get up from a chair and come around the table.  
  
A youthful Sydney turned towards him. "What is it, Jarod?"  
  
"Does she--" He pointed through a transparent partition towards Miss Parker, who was walking along with her father. "--have any brothers or sisters?"  
  
"No, Jarod, she does not. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because... if she did... I wanted to know what it was like." Jarod answered honestly. He knew communication was discouraged about such forbidden subjects as family, but Jarod wanted Sydney to know that he would never forget. Never.  
  
"What it's like to have brothers and sisters?" For a moment, the psychologist hesitated, as if about to say something, then stopped. "That has no bearing on our simulation."  
  
"Sydney... do I have any brothers or sisters?" Jarod wanted to know. He couldn't recall... he only remembered his mother, for the most part. She was beautiful.  
  
"No, Jarod." Sydney's answer was quick, and abrupt.  
  
Jarod watched the black and white image of himself slowly sit back down at the table, and he remembered the feeling of being quite alone in the world.  
  
Kyle, of course... Kyle was his brother, but that had been kept from him. The memory of the gun shot flared in his mind, and he shivered slightly. "I have no brother." he murmured. "Not anymore."  
  
He leaned back in the chair and picked up the manila folder that contained the hard copies of Ensign Robitaille's records. "Seven brothers and sisters."  
  
Jarod perused every bit of information listed in the files... enlistment dates... basic training... sitreps... fitreps... comments made by various senior officers during training.  
  
He frowned slightly. Most of the comments and sitreps described Garrett Robitaille as something of an underachiever. Not truly bad enough to wash out, but just not... up to his full potential. Most of his sitreps described his performance as 'mediocre'. "So how did a below-standard recruit make Ensign in ten months and then immediately become a j.g.?" he wondered aloud.  
  
He tabbed back through the information. "Captain Thomas Avery." Avery had commanded the basic training outfit that Robitaille had come up through. Jarod leaned back in his chair, wondering if Avery would have any interesting insights into the promotion of Garrett Robitaille.  
  
His thoughts left the case momentarily, and he smiled as he recalled dinner last night. Once things had calmed down from Kate Pike's grand entrance, it had been a very pleasant evening. Of course, Jarod had been pleased to spend it in the company of Parker's twin.  
  
"The 'Force', eh?" he murmured to himself. He seemed to recall from a previous "pretend" a discussion he had with a very special lady regarding the same 'force' as that in this new movie Phantom Menace'.  
  
After having asked about the movies Lieutenant Commander Rabb had mentioned, he'd gone out and rented all three of them, having only watched just the first one. Jarod was more than curious about this 'battle for good', and wanted to find out as much as he could about it. So he and Bud were going to stage a Star Wars marathon; Roberts was inviting a few of his sci-fi friends and, of course, Harriet.  
  
Jarod wondered if he should invite Kate... she seemed animated enough during the discussion of "Classic Star Wars" versus "Episode 1".  
  
~*~*~  
  
Harm's Apartment  
  
1113 Hours  
  
Kate Pike lay stretched out underneath the cream colored down comforter. She was glad she took Harm's offer to stay with him during her stay in Falls Church. Although she knew she should be mobile at this late hour of the morning, it was just too comfortable and cozy in his bed on such a cold dreary looking day.  
  
It had been about 45 minutes earlier that she opened her eyes, and it took till now to actually get the ambition to crawl out of bed, but nature was telling her now that enough stalling, time to move.  
  
A few minutes later, Kate padded into the kitchen to prepare her morning cup of coffee. While it brewed, she turned and noticed Harm's blanket and pillow stacked neatly on one end of the couch. Ever the gentlemen. Actually she knew his heart now belonged to someone, a particular blonde.  
  
Her thoughts went back to Jarod's strange reaction of her. The look of nervousness in his eyes intermingled with surprise and the look of a trapped tiger. What did this other woman --who she obviously looked like-- have over this Lieutenant Commander of the United States Navy?  
  
A shiver ran down Pike's back as she thought about the fact that there is another woman out there somewhere who looked alot like her but with a cruelty that brought fear to such men as Hayes. That same thought also provoked a... sense of wanting to meet her.  
  
Taking her cup of coffee, Kate walked over to a mirror and examined her features. She started to wonder what resemblence this other woman had with her. Same facial features? Hair color? Height? What did she have that this mysterious woman also resembled. Perhaps she should meet with Commander Hayes again to ask a few snoopy questions. Lets just hope that he would answer them.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Naval Intelligence  
  
1246 Hours  
  
Meg Austin sat on the edge of her chair, trying to steady her hands as she held onto the telephone receiver. "Ok talk to you later tonight then."  
  
After dinner last night, Harm had walked her to her car where they stood beside it just talking and laughing over little things. It had seemed almost surreal, the easiness with which they interacted, almost as if they had never been apart. She had just been about to get into the car when Harm suddenly reached out, placing his hand gently on her arm.  
  
Meg closed her eyes, reliving the moment in her mind's eye. The expression on his face, the intensity in his eyes and the gentle crook of a smile on his lips...the nervousness in his voice.  
  
"Do you...want to go out for awhile tomorrow night?"  
  
She opened her eyes again and looked out the window. Somehow she had managed to get out a 'yes.' After all, they would just be talking over old times over a couple of drinks, right? Maybe dinner. It couldn't be...more than that, could it?  
  
If it was...well, that might explain why her heart was absolutely racing.  
  
~*~*~  
  
J.A.G.  
  
1302 Hours  
  
Harm swallowed coffee and manuevered his way around the desks in the common area, heading for his office. Mac was supposed to be talking to Lieutenant Connor again today; Harm didn't see her in her office, so he assumed that was where she was.  
  
Kate had still been asleep when he'd slipped out of the apartment this morning. Must be nice, he thought to himself, to not have to be part of the sunrise squad. He entered his office and put down his mug, taking the time to shrug out of his jacket and drape it over a chair.  
  
"Commander?"  
  
Harm looked up. Jarod Hayes was standing in the doorway.  
  
"May I have a word with you?"  
  
"Certainly. Have a seat." Harm settled into his own chair and drank more coffee, then leaned back to hear what this intriguing officer had to say. "I was hoping we might get a few minutes to talk before it got too crazy around here after lunch."  
  
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Jarod asked, and Harm blinked, caught by surprise. He'd expected the question to have something to do with the Collins investigation, or the Connor case.  
  
He shook his head slightly. "No... I don't. I was an only child." Harm watched the other man; Jarod seemed to absorb the information curiously, thoughtfully.  
  
"I see." Jarod conceded. "I... had a brother."  
  
Harm took note of the past tense, and his expression softened a bit. "I'm sorry. An accident?"  
  
"Murder." Jarod hadn't quite ever given voice to the word, but there it was. Murder. Kyle had been, for all intents and purposes, killed by the Centre's minions.  
  
Harm, again caught flat-footed, regarded the officer across from him silently. There was a haunted sort of look in Jarod's eyes, and he recognized that as fresh grief. This had not happened long ago, he realized. "Were you close?" Harm felt a little awkward. He barely knew Jarod at all.  
  
"Not really." 'Hayes' answered candidly. "Not that we were ever given the chance."  
  
Harm was unsure how to respond to that, and he silently swallowed more coffee.  
  
"Garrett Robitaille had brothers and sisters. Seven of them, in fact."  
  
Rabb set aside his coffee mug at Jarod's statement, his interest piqued. Hayes certainly had a roundabout approach to discussing case details. "And--?" he prompted, wanting to know the significance of such a detail.  
  
"They were raised in a single-parent household... money would have been in short supply as a regular circumstance." he tapped his pen lightly in thought. "Not the sort of family who'd have two hundred and eighty- thousand dollars just lying around. That's a pretty big chunk of change."  
  
Harm leaned forward now, forgetting his doubts about Hayes for the moment as he turned over this bit of information.  
  
"Also..." Jarod produced hard copies of the records he'd studied, and he pulled out a particular page to hand to Harm. Rabb took the sheet and perused it. "...seems like he made ensign faster than what you'd normally expect for someone of his caliber." As Harm glanced up from the page, Jarod handed him another sheaf of papers that contained copies of the sitreps he'd printed out.  
  
These were nothing new to him but the information regarding the two hundred and eighty thousand dollars was. "When did he come into this sudden cash flow?" Again Jarod handed him another page. A bank statement. Robataille's bank statement.  
  
Harm glanced up with a raised brow for a couple of reasons. One being that he was surprised Hayes got his hands on his bank information and two, that the money was deposited within the last month. "Now there's a co- inkidink. A promotion and an instant inheritance within the same month?"  
  
Jarod just nodded his agreement.  
  
"Not to mention that he's not very good at covering his tracks." Harm tapped his fingers on his desk in thought. "Only way he could get a transfer, would be from someone in higher command. The question is who."  
  
"That seems to be the question of the day."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Judge Advocate General  
  
Falls Church, VA  
  
1740 Hours  
  
Jarod settled down at his desk, and his fingers flew along the keyboard as he prepared to access email. Time for a little message...  
  
"Even when I was working here, my typing was never that good."  
  
Jarod looked up, startled, to see Kate Pike standing there. He had to force himself to smile; Miss Parker had a way of silently just *appearing* beside you before you realized she was there. Apparently... so did Lieutenant Kate Pike.  
  
Smiling, Kate leaned on the edge of his desk. "You wouldn't happen to be free for dinner, would you?" Kate had always been open and direct with everyone, which made it quite easy for anyone to be comfortable with her. She looked around the office, noting the small changes and caught the eye of Lieutenant Raymond who she smiled and gave a small wave to.  
  
Jarod blinked once. In some ways, it was hard not to think of this woman as Miss Parker; even Kate's voice had the same sort of deep, throaty tone that was at once self-assured and attractive. That directness was like Miss Parker, too, only... somehow... different.  
  
He quickly shut down his internet connection; he didn't want her to see what he'd been about to get into. "Well....yes. Yes, I am as a matter of fact."  
  
"Terrific, then you're all mine." Straightening out, she winked at Jarod then sauntered over and hooked her arm through his. "I myself am in the mood for ...." She stopped when she heard Harriet's voice telling Bud she was craving him for dinner. Kate would have loved to have made a teasing comment, but she didn't know them to well. "Damn, talk about a wasted teasing opportunity." she whispered to Jarod.  
  
Jarod's smile was genuine. Kate Pike was... fun. So unlike her sister. For even though Jarod had just started researching it, he knew instinctively that this must be Miss Parker's sister. Not even Sydney had ever mentioned a Parker twin... Perhaps no one knew... maybe that was part of what got their mom killed in the first place. Question now is, how did Lyle fit into the puzzle?  
  
"Lieutenant Roberts introduced me to this really nice pizza place downtown. Do you like pepperoni?" Jarod asked, picking up his cover and tucking it under his free arm.  
  
"Pizza. Sounds great to me. BUT..." Pike grinned. "... we have to have pineapple and extra cheese with it." She couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw the shocked look on his face as they exited OPS.  
  
Jarod opened the door of the small pizzeria, and instantly the aroma of baking pizzas wafted over them. He waited as Kate stepped inside, then he followed after. Pike gave him a mischievous look, a raised eyebrow. Again Jarod was taken with the fact that this could only be Miss Parker's twin. Except instead of coolness with the expression, there was a slight smile.  
  
"Punky's Pizza Palace?" she asked skeptically. "You sure it's 'safe'?"  
  
Now Jarod laughed aloud, completely struck by how much that sounded like Kate's sister. "I'm still alive to tell about it." he said candidly. "And so is Bud... and they have a terrific Sicilian style pizza." He pulled out a chair for Kate and waited while she seated herself, and her smile deepened.  
  
"I'll have to take your word for it."  
  
Jarod settled down across from her, and they waited to be given menus. He looked at her frankly, and Kate, unaccustomed to such obvious scrutiny, shifted slightly in her chair. "So..." Jarod smiled, and his tone was just as open and honest as his gaze. "What exactly made you want to have dinner with me?"  
  
"Would you believe me if I said it was your great looks?" She raised her brows, then blinked. "Judging by that look..." she noted his disbelieving 'uh huh' look, '... you don't believe me." Kate fiddled with the cutlery on the paper napkin in hopes of trying not to look too obvious with why she wanted to see him. Might as well get to the point. "Ok, I admit, the curiousity of wanting to know what this mystery woman is like..." She paused for a second, "...well it got the better of me."  
  
Jarod looked down at his own paper place mat, not sure what to say. Finally he looked up at her, and there was this... haunted--that was the best word Kate could think of--look in his eyes.  
  
"Let me ask you a question first, if I might." He paused, waiting for her response.  
  
Kate raised a curious brow. "Me?" She leaned back against the wooden chair, folding her arms. "Sure. Although my life is too boring to find out anything of interest."  
  
The waitress stopped by their table and dropped off glasses of pop. Both Jarod and Kate smiled at her and thanked her.  
  
"Tell me about your family. What are they like?" Jarod sipped on his soda.  
  
"My family??" Pike paused for a moment, thinking back to her family she left behind. "I have a wonderful family. Mom, dad, and two older brothers." She sighed a moment, glancing away. "They weren't my real parents, but they raised me like their own so in my heart they are my parents."  
  
Kate wasn't sure why she was telling this to the man sitting across the table from her, but something in his eyes told her she could trust him. "I loved them dearly. We didn't have much growing up, but they always made sure we were happy."  
  
"I grew up with my brothers so I got into cars, mud and playing with snakes. I guess in a way that is what helped me decide I wanted to be in the Navy. I wanted to play with bigger toys, just like the men do." She smiled at him then, suddenly unsure of what to say next.  
  
Jarod nodded slowly, her words making perfect sense. Of course she would have had to be adopted... practically smuggled out, he'd guess... and he also knew that more than likely her adoption had been hush-hush to protect her from the Centre and their minions.  
  
He sipped at his soda again, his mind working. Some time ago, he'd sent Miss Parker chasing after another piece of her past... to a white house in Maine... and a jewelry box that contained the truth about... yes! Jarod grasped it instantly. If Ben was truly Miss Parker's father, then he would be Kate's as well. As soon as the weekend arrived... he was taking a flight to Maine. He had to talk to Ben Miller face to face.  
  
"Sounds like you have a nice family." Jarod tried to keep the wistfulness from his voice, but even now, as he was unravelling the Centre's ultimate cruelty to Miss Parker, he couldn't help but wonder where his mother was... how she was doing... did she think of him still?  
  
"I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world."  
  
"May I ask... why were you adopted? I mean, do you know who your real parents are? Where they are?"  
  
"To tell you the truth, I never really cared or bothered to find out what happened to my parents except one time. I was always content with my adoptive parents. To me, they were always my true parents. I suppose that I thought that 'mom' had good reason to give me up because I can't see how a mother could give up her child without a damn good reason."  
  
Did Kate have some sort of resentment towards her biological mother, or was he just imagining that he heard it in her voice? "Do you ever wonder if you have other brother or sisters?"  
  
Kate looked directly at him, but never really saw him. Her mind went back to all those 'what ifs' she had thought about at different times of her life. "Well, sure. I guess I sometimes thought that maybe I had other brothers or sisters. What they would be like, what they are doing with their life, that sort of thing." She absently started to fiddle with her cutlery again. "I could be an auntie, and not know about it."  
  
Jarod half smiled at that thought. The mental picture of Miss Parker cradling an infant... well, it just was not natural. He was quite sure there was not one ounce of maternal instincts in that woman.  
  
"One time I thought about trying to find my natural parents, but then I would start to doubt myself." She paused a moment, drawing in a deep breath. "I guess I would make myself believe that they had their own lives and if I came blowing into it like a whirlwind, would they resent me for it."  
  
Jarod could see that 'far off' look in her eyes and knew she was reliving her thoughts she had about a family she never knew.  
  
"I remember one time, I started asking questions to 'mom' about my real mother and father. She didn't want to answer, but she knew in her heart that I would want to know eventually. I thought once, I would like to see them from a distance, whoever they were, and see how they lived, etc. At the last minute, I chickened out. In my mind I had created a family from my own ideals." Kate blinked, coming out of her reverie. "Why are you asking me about my family?"  
  
Jarod shifted a bit, and he traced the outer edge of his glass with a fingertip. "I've wondered a lot about my family over the years. Who my parents were... what they were like..." He exhaled slowly. "Where they might be now." He looked up at her, his dark eyes expressive. "If I ever found any of them... I'd want to know them."  
  
"Do they know that you exist? What do you know about them?" Her curiousity was piqued.  
  
"I... well... they know I exist, but I think they've given up on me." Jarod explained slowly. "I was... separated from my parents when I was very young." There was an odd inflection on the word 'separated' that made Kate wonder at his choice of words. Jarod dug into his blazer and produced a black and white photograph. It was a picture that went everywhere with him, and he offered it for her inspection. "This is my mom."  
  
Kate reached for the little picture, handling it with as much delicacy as he had. She examined the woman, so young, so beautiful. It was obvious it was an old picture. She waited for him to continue.  
  
"I was only about four... or five when I was separated from her." Jarod's voice was hushed, almost reverent as he watched Kate handle the picture. "I've only ever seen her once since then... and that was very brief..." Jarod's throat tightened as the memories played back in his mind... a busy street corner... sweepers... her face as she came closer... his sister in the car... a flash of red hair as she got into the car and then she was gone again. "My brother died shortly after that. And I hadn't known him very long, either, after being kept apart for so long." His voice had become somewhat pained, but his expression remained faraway, as the mental images shifted to Kyle.  
  
"Would you mind, if I asked... who pulled you apart in the first place?" She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to tear anyone away from their family. Well, not unless it was to save their life. Family unable to support each other, or maybe even something as disasterous as family abuse. Kate looked at this man differently. With more feeling, with more understanding, with more... respect for how he survived and how he never gave up searching.  
  
Jarod shook his head. How could he explain The Centre to her? To someone who was spared even knowing of its existence by her own mother's efforts? 'And at the cost of her sister's soul.' he reflected to himself. "They were people who had no business dealing with small children." he finally said, his cryptic response all he was willing to offer her at this time. Jarod looked at Kate squarely, an honesty in his expression. "I don't know about you, but... I'll never stop looking for them."  
  
"Me?" she snorted. "Hell Jarod, I don't even know where to begin looking for my mother. I don't even know if she's still alive." She looked away then, in a small way he had ignited a small hope that perhaps some day she will find her mother.  
  
The waitress stopped by to drop off their pizza, and just as quick, she departed. They both seemed to be lost in their thoughts, they didn't notice her. 


	6. Chapter 6

****  
  
Meg Austin's Apartment  
  
1945 hours  
  
After taking a long hot shower, Meg padded to the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot tea. Her hair was still wrapped in a towel, and her terry robe kept the chill away, barely. The robe was quite a few years old, but she didn't have the heart to replace it as it belonged to her father. One of the few items she had left that belonged to him. She missed him terribly.  
  
While waiting for the water to boil, she put on a pair of socks, then sat down to see what was on TV. Flipping through mindlessly, her thoughts drifted back to Lieutenant Collins. She had only worked with her a few weeks, but still the impact of talking with someone recently and then all of a sudden they were gone, felt devastating.  
  
A knock on the door woke her out of her reverie, walking to the door, she heard the kettle start its warning whistle indicating that the water was hot enough. Peeping through the eye hole, she saw Harm standing there patiently waiting for her to open the door.  
  
Unlocking the door and opening it, she noticed his haggard appearance. "Harm? what are you doing here?" Ushering him into her apartment, closing her door and locking it again, she ran to the kitchenette and unplugged the kettle. There she made two cups of tea, grabbed two towels, one for him to sit on and one to dry off with because he was wet from the rain and then sat down next to him on the couch.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she repeated, holding out the tea cup towards him.  
  
Reaching for it, he smiled at her. "Meg, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"Believe what?"  
  
"Just when I was about to leave the office, I was lured into the chamber of hell." Harm placed the cup on the coffee table, then stood up to take off his jacket.  
  
Meg burst out laughing, "What did the commander want??"  
  
"Some assignment we're working on now, not important. Told her I couldn't stay long, I had a date." he said with a slight smile.  
  
"A date?" Meg inquired, slightly puzzled.  
  
"I know, you forgot. Unless you consider your current attire evening wear to dinner that is."  
  
"Our date... " she said, searching her memory, glancing down she turned a slight shade of pink. "Oh Harm, I am so sorry... I got caught up with the details of the Raptor, I lost track of time."  
  
Harm chuckled and couldn't help but tease her, "At least you're not in curlers wearing some sort of mud pack plastered on your face."  
  
"HARM!" she laughed and threw a couch cushion at him.  
  
Ducking the incoming cushion, "I could always order in, that is if you're still hungry."  
  
"Sure, that will be great.. I'm.. um.. going to go get changed while you do that."  
  
Harm watched her walk off to her bedroom, then picked up the phone and dialed the local Chinese restaurant for delivery. Setting the portable down on the table next to the couch, he noticed some notes regarding a case. Little scribbles, and locations with what appeared to be a name underlined a few times. He wondered what she could be working on, but decided now was not the time to bring it up, not when they needed some quiet downtime together.  
  
Meg checked the red digits on the clock by her bed. Quickly, she picked up the phone and dialed the now familiar phone number and waited till someone answered.  
  
"Hi.. it's me.... is she ok? Yeah? Will she be able to travel soon? Ok ok.... no... no I haven't said anything yet. I don't know... time isn't right... ok... yes I will.. give her my love and I miss her." Meg put the receiver down, her hands trembling slightly.  
  
"So, what did you order us for dinner?" she walked back in wearing a white sweat shirt over a pair of grey leggings and slouch socks. Her hair was slicked back because it was still wet from her shower earlier.  
  
He always enjoyed her friendship, and knew he could come here to unwind, to relax and talk comfortably to each other about their day at their respective jobs, like they had done years prior. "It should be here in about 20 minutes. Till then, you up for war?"  
  
"War?"  
  
"Mmm.. thumb war of course!"  
  
She laughed, "Consider yourself defeated." Placing her hand in his, the warmth of his touch made her hesitate a moment, long enough to glance into his eyes. Did he see how he affected her being so near now? No, she must not think such things as they had decided that friends were all they could ever be now. The past was just that, the past.  
  
After a few rounds of thumb war, once she was even pulled towards him, into his arms at the same time as the saving sound of the door bell, the food had arrived. Stepping back, feeling a little flustered with the contact, she averted eye contact and he went to get the door.  
  
"Good lord, Harm. I do hope you're hungry, you ordered enough for a platoon."  
  
*~*~*  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Deleware  
  
9:56 p.m.  
  
Sydney Greene quietly reviewed documents that were sent to his attention for signature. His mind drifted onto other things though and he found himself rereading the information in front of him a couple of times before it started to sink in.  
  
He subconsciously rubbed at his jacket breast pocket wanting to reassure himself that the classified information Jarod had asked him to look into was still there. Only other person that now knew this information was Broots who had stayed in the lab with the doctor to make sure there was no mixup of the samples, and that the results didn't accidentally get misplaced.  
  
The doctor didn't know who's blood samples they were other than the vials being marked as "K" "L" and "M". And right now, Jarod was the only one that knew what they stood for.  
  
As if on cue, Syd's cellular shrilled in the silence of the office. He picked it up on the second ring. "This is Sydney."  
  
"Did you get the results?"  
  
"Jarod." Sydney glanced out the office window to see Miss Parker standing behind Broots as they searched through data bases to find the man that was now on the phone with him. "Yes I got it."  
  
"And?" Jarod prompted.  
  
"Samples 'K' and 'M' are a perfect match." Greene practically whispered.  
  
"So 'L' is no match to either?" Jarod waited for the negative reply that he was now so positive he'd hear. He wasn't disappointed.  
  
"What's going on Jarod?" Sydney's curiousity was now piqued. "Who's blood did we test? I know it's Parker's match, but to whom?"  
  
"All in good time, Sydney." Jarod watched Kate Pike make her way back to the table. "I'll talk to you later."  
  
With that, the connection on the other end terminated and left Sydney holding the little phone and looking back over to where Parker stood.  
  
"I got him!" Broots practically flew out of his chair with excitement, almost knocking Parker over.  
  
Greene's line of sight moved from Parker to Broots and saw him scurry over to where he now stood. "What have you got, Broots?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Jarod." He was about to hand the doctor the sheet of paper that had information on Jarod's whereabouts when Parker came up from behind him and snatched it out of his hands.  
  
"Give me that." She glanced at the paper. "This is just Navy office requisitions." Parker now turned towards Broots and arched a brow at him.  
  
Broots now feeling smug, grabbed the sheet back and pointed to a line near the bottom. "See? A request to have one Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes' records sent to the Judge Advocate General's office in Falls Church, Virginia for the attention of Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb. It was filled out by a Petty Officer Tiner. My guess..." he pointed his thumb to his chest. "... is that Jarod doesn't know of this, otherwise he would have covered his tracks."  
  
"Then we're leaving tonight. Broots, get the jet ready and make sure that Dr. Jekyl and Ms. Hyde don't find out. Is that clear?" Parker turned on her heel and left to go pack. She was going to get him this time. She could almost feel it.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Austin's Apartment Parkade  
  
10:18 p.m.  
  
Andrew Hawke's jaw clenched tightly when he heard the gentle laughter of the owner of the apartment. Somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach, he couldn't stand the fact that this 'Harm' character could make her laugh so easily and the fact he would lightly touch her arm when they sat on the couch together only irritated him more.  
  
"I'm supposed to be concentrating on whether she knows anything on who killed the Collins woman." he growled to himself.  
  
His muscles begged for relief as he had been sitting crouched over the monitors for the past three hours or so. He stood up as far as he could in the cramped old van doing his best to shake out the kinks in his body.  
  
Andrew practically jumped out of his skin and slammed his head into the roof when there was a loud bang at the door. Rubbing the new forming bump, he threw open the sliding door of the van. "What the hell do you want?"  
  
The well suited man took a step backwards, not prepared for the reaction of the man in front of him. "You're parked in my spot, and I would appreciate it if you move that hunk of junk now before I call the cops."  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
"Yeah, that's so." The suited man took a small step forward in hopes of letting him know he meant it, but he was slightly thrown off with the next question.  
  
"Is that your car there?" Hawkes indicated the vehicle with a toss of his head in the general direction. The man's eyes left his to glance over to his vehicle and it was all Hawkes needed to pull out his weapon and shoot him. He was glad he had the silencer on.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Austin's Apartment  
  
11:24 p.m.  
  
"You know, I figured out why paint is so expensive."  
  
Meg whirled around to see Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb standing in the doorway to her apartment. Leaning nonchalantly against the frame. "You're here?" She said, eyes blinking with surprise. She was attempting to .. add a touch to the kitchen to make it more inviting instead of this sight you saw and ran from.  
  
Here he found her guiltily standing there with a paint brush in one hand, smudges on her nose, and her painter pants... well lets just say it brought a new meaning to the word *painter* pants because at one point, she backed into the kitchen wall she just admired when the phone rang once.  
  
Meg laughed happily, glad that he was with her anyway. She walked up and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek and in the process left a paint smudge. She giggled when she saw the little white spot. "I'm glad you came back. I thought you were going back to the office.  
  
Harm smiled, and involuntarily glanced down at his uniform to be sure no paint splotches had been deposited. "I was but figured only insane losers with no life would be there this late." He explained his return as he bumped the door closed behind him.  
  
He deposited his briefcase and cover on the couch, and followed Meg over to the kitchen to examine her handiwork. "Not bad, Lieutenant. Not bad at all. Maybe I should get you to help me with those bookshelves you needed help with--" He indicated the partially built shelves sitting on a tarp in the far corner.  
  
Harm winked at her mischievously and wandered back to her bedroom, "Mind if I use your room to change?" He started rumaging around in his carry bag for a change of clothing.  
  
Meg had followed him, more out of habit then anything, talking aimlessly about Shadow and how she was now locked in her carry case because, well what used to be a gray cat was now a gray and white cat. She was in the middle of telling him about giving Shadow a shower when she realized he was intending to change. Her face flushed and she turned back towards the kitchen. 'What would you like a late night snack, sir?"  
  
Harm thought about that a moment as he unbuttoned his uniform shirt and pulled it off. "Good question...." he said as he slipped a tank top over his head and then proceeded to kick off his dress shoes and unzip his pants. "I'm not really very hungry, actually. Did you have something in mind?" He tossed the uniform pants on the bed and pulled on a pair of stone washed jeans. Zipping them, he bent down to take off his socks and he padded out in his bare feet.  
  
"Not really.." she grinned at him. A cushion flew across the room and hit him in the chest. Meg laughed mischieviously.  
  
"What was that for?" She heard him ask, dodging the incoming cushion thrown back at her. "Oh you're going to tell me you didn't deserve that!"  
  
Harm spread a hand on his chest and gave her his most innocent expression. "Of course not!" he exclaimed in mock anguish. Laughing, he hunched down next to the bookshelves, and eyed them for levelness.  
  
He'd spent most of the previous evening sanding the shelves, preparing them for staining, and he ran his fingers along the wood. "Ow!" he yelped suddenly as a splinter drove itself deep into the flesh of his thumb. Apparently a *little* more sanding was required... "Damn! I hate these things." Harm stood up and tried to pinch the splinter from his finger, but only succeeded in getting it further in.  
  
"What did you do, sir?" Meg squinted her eyes, unsure if he was just pretending to be wounded to see if he could draw her near for an ambush. Eyeing him suspiciously, she cautiously walked around the couch towards him. When he poked his hand towards her, she flinched, expecting him to nab her, instead she did see a little red spot forming around a tiny sliver of wood.  
  
Taking his hand in both of hers, she lead him towards the lamp to get a clearer view. "Looks quite deep, sir." Meg poked at it a few times with her nails, trying to get a hold of the little sucker, watching him squirm on occasion. Finally she laughed out loud. "Oh would you stop it, its just a tiny sliver. Geez you would think you were being tortured under interrogation."  
  
"Rabb, Harmon. Lieutenant Commander. 989-54-8301. October 25, 1963." Harm replied jokingly. "It hurts!"  
  
"You big baby." She winked at him. "Ok, under interrogation, tell me what you are thinking about right now." She tried to keep his mind occupied an off the pain from the little splinter.  
  
"I'm thinking you're probably going to have to use a needle, and I don't like that, either. Ouch!" He flinched again as she poked once again at the welt forming around the sliver.  
  
Withdrawing her hand from his, Meg stood up and went looking for the little emergency sewing kit she had stashed in her dresser. She returned a few moments later with a needle, a cotton ball and a bottle of peroxide.  
  
"Okay...do your worst; I'm at your mercy." He grinned at her.  
  
"OH I got you right where I want you." She floated the needle above the steam from the now boiling kettle. Walking back over, Meg grabbed his hand once again, the warmth of his touch making her heart flutter.  
  
Glancing into his eyes, she told him silently that now she was going to perform the .. surgery. He nodded back his understanding. The needle pierced and struck its goal. Removing it slowly, she held her breathe and then closed her eyes, relieved that it was over. Although probably not as much as he was.  
  
He flinched once as the needle poked into his skin, but said nothing. He smiled at her gently. "Nice job, Dr. Austin." Rabb teased lightly.  
  
"Well, at least you didn't cry like my brothers used to when we were little." Meg replied in kind.  
  
"Hmm....comparing me to your brothers again. I *am* in trouble." Harm's smile suddenly faded slightly into a softer, more tender expression. "But I'll bet none of your brothers ever asked you to kiss it better, either."  
  
Meg's eyes fluttered back to meet his, and what she read there was something more then just a teasing comment, there was a hidden message, ok well not so hidden. Not having let go of his hand earlier, she moved it up to her lips, bushing them lightly against his fingers. Tracing her lips along his fingers, when she reached the tender spot, Meg kissed it ever so softly, lingering there longer then intended.  
  
The yeowling of Shadow interrupted her brief moment of being lost in his touch. Stepping back, she said. "I should let Shadow out of her traveling case." Meg got up, trembling and the urge to get away from him now overtook her. But Harm turned his hand over quickly, but gently, and captured her wrist before she could leave. He touched her face with his free hand, his forefinger caressing her cheek.  
  
"All better now." he murmured, and he leaned down to tenderly kiss her. It was hesitant at first, almost shy, but then it was warm and gentle, undemanding and yet consuming all at once. He drew back, looking into the blue wells of her eyes, gauging her reaction. "I've wanted to do that for a long time." he said softly.  
  
Meg struggled for air, unaware that she held onto her breath. His kiss had demanded nothing from her, just a gentle kiss telling her there was something strong between them. Her mind raced, unsure of how to react, or even what to say. "Harm..." her voice managed to squeak out his name.  
  
She placed her hands against his chest, aware now that he had that small tank shirt on, the whole moment made her head spin. Her fingers trembled slightly while moving slowly up around his neck. *What was she doing?* she asked herself, *What are we doing?*  
  
Harm brushed her hair away from her face, then kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her and cuddling her close. He felt her resist ever-so-slightly at first, then begin to respond, kissing him back and then laying her head against his chest. He held her there like that, stroking her hair, smelling her perfume, completely captivated by her touch.  
  
Meg whispered so softly. "I love you Harm, I've always loved you." When he asked what she had said, she couldn't repeat it. Instead she said, "I think I should go, Harm... let Shadow out of her box." She didn't let go of her hold on him, somehow she couldn't make herself move.  
  
"The cat will survive a few more moments alone." Harm said gently, nuzzling her tenderly. "But I know *I* can't. Not anymore." He stepped back and took her face in his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. "Meg... I've carried you in my heart wherever I've gone... when you left JAG, it was the hardest thing not to see you everyday in the office... hear your voice, your laugh. See you smile." He swallowed hard, a lump in his throat. "It killed me to see you go. But when you were reassigned to Becca..." He smiled tenderly at her. "It was like being given a second chance at something too precious for words, Meg... and I don't intend to let it slip away from me."  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Deleware  
  
12:18 a.m.  
  
Miss Parker strode towards her father's office intending to leave him a small note informing him she has information regarding Jarod's location and would be flying out tonight and by time he read the note, she should have him in custody.  
  
She smirked, 'they' had found him. Sydney, Broots and herself were the ones responsible for the capture of Jarod whoever-he-was-this-week. Not the amateur duo of Brigitte and Lyle.  
  
Turning the last corner prior to daddy's office, she stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Brigitte, her father, and Mr. Reines. She quickly ducked behind the corner, quite sure they hadn't spotted her, she leaned in to hear what they were talking about.  
  
"I'm telling you, Jarod is replaceable... he was last year's model." Reines wheezed out. He was doing his best to look dominating but with having to drag his life support around, the attempt to look threatening was not completely accomplished.  
  
"But I still don't see the need to kill him. He could still be of some use to us." Mr. Parker pinched his brows together.  
  
"The Tower feels otherwise. They agree with me that it would be easier to find him and kill him then it is to find him and capture him." Reines glared at the other man, almost taunting him to disagree.  
  
"There has to be some other way." The old man insisted.  
  
"Heh." Reines' attempt at a laugh came out more like a snort. "Only if you can prove he's worth keeping alive, but somehow I don't think that is possible anymore.  
  
"But we've invested so much into Jarod." It was now Brigitte's turn to help argue out her husband's point. Even if she did agree that having Jarod killed was the best route to go, her husband certainly didn't need to know. "To have all that time and energy put towards the pretender project only to have our pretender run away...."  
  
"Then we'll make sure not to make the same mistake twice." With that, Reines wheeled his way towards the elevator while the other two went into the office, closing the door behind them.  
  
'Good gawd.' Miss Parker thought. They had no intentions of capturing Jarod... they intend on killing him. She had to go find Sydney now. Suddenly the game had changed. The rules now, there were no rules. 


	7. Chapter 7

~*~*~  
  
Thursday Morning  
  
0653 Hours  
  
Shadow padded across the living room towards the bedroom. As far as she was concerned, it was time for a nap. Terrorizing the stuffed mouse and trying to create havoc around the apartment was enough for at least a few hours' sleep. Hopping onto the bed, she made herself quite comfortable with a blue looking blanket placed on the foot of the bed. Comfort.  
  
Meg was having a cup of coffee and lounging on the couch. She didn't have to go to the office today; she had arranged it so she could work out of her apartment and wanted to complete painting the kitchen. "You're going to be late, Harm!" She yelled at him. He had stayed on her couch last night.  
  
From the bathroom, Harm called back, "I'm hurryin'!" Harm was quickly doing his morning routine. Unlike Austin, he was unable to take the day off. "Any more of that coffee out there?" he asked as he splashed on a bit of after shave.  
  
"Lots left, but if you don't hurry.. can't guarantee there will be any." Meg slowly got up off the couch, not feeling too ambitious at the moment. "I can't believe you're insane enough to get up early to just... jog." Pouring herself a second cup, she knew she should cut back, but she could never resist Irish Cream.  
  
Harm hurried out of the bathroom, his short dark hair still damp and kind of disorganized...for lack of a better description...wrapped in a robe. He came into the kitchen, which still half smelled of paint, and poured himself a mug of coffee. Taking a swallow, he hoped desperately it would turn his brain on before he took on the morning run.  
  
Taking another quick sip, he set the mug on the counter and hurried back into the bedroom to dress. Shadow was now curled up on a pillow, completely oblivious to the events around her. Harm, for his part, was in too much of a hurry to take much notice of his blue jogging suit which was placed across the bed. He dressed quickly, putting on t-shirt and socks... then pulling on the navy jogging pants, and finally grabbing sneakers.  
  
It wasn't until he came back out and Meg started to laugh that he even realized that he was quite covered in cat fur. "What in the--" he started, and he brushed futilely at the pants.  
  
Meg tried desperately to hold back her laugh. "Shadow just wanted to make sure you wouldn't forget about her during the day." She walked over to her purse and pulled out a little roller. She was accustomed to having Shadow leave signs of love over her uniforms. She ran the roller over Harm. "Quit squirming, I'm trying to get as much fur off as possible and you're not making it any easier."  
  
"But...it.....*tickles*!" Harm squirmed again as she ran the roller over his thighs.  
  
Shadow, upon hearing her name, wandered back out to where they were, stretching and the meowing in her, 'I'm innocent in this matter, don't look at me' kinda way.  
  
Harm just shook his head and pointed a finger at her. "*You*--" he said sternly, "--are lucky that I don't ship you off to Siberia." Shadow remained unconcerned, even going as far as to rub up against his ankles, making him step back out of her way--and out of Meg's reach. "Damn!" Harm hung his carry bag on the back of a chair and reached out a hand for the roller. He quickly brushed off his pants and his socks while Meg stifled her giggles.  
  
"I'll have to make myself a note to kill a cat when I come back." Harm grimaced. He wasn't serious, of course, but he at the rate he was going he was going to have to cut his time down on jogging. "Did we get all of it?"  
  
Meg made a motion for him to turn around, and she bit her lower lip. The seat of his pants were still covered with shed fur. Raising a brow, she was unsure of how to go about.. removing the fur from that area. "I hope so, with all your squirming about..." She wrinkled her nose at him once she realized what he was teasing about. "You will keep your mitts off Shadow. She loves you Harm!" She secretly hoped that his jacket would adequately cover his fur covered.. six.  
  
"Your mug of to-go-coffee is on the counter, your briefcase is by the door and your car keys are hanging by the door also." She furrowed her brow a moment. *Why did that sound like a married couple comment?* "I'll see you at lunch?"  
  
"Yeah...I'll probably be about fifteen minutes later than normal. Commander Krennick wants the Chambers file on her desk by the time I leave for lunch.. so I'll be pushing it. And loves me? That cat loves me like the plague." Harm winked. He scooped up his things and hurried out the door, mindful not to spill his coffee.  
  
Harm pushed into mile number three of his morning run, enjoying the early morning sunshine and the cool breeze. There was no one else around; it was early enough that there were only a few other joggers, scattered about in various places of the park. It gave him space to think. He was turning over the case in his mind, puzzling over it like a tenacious dog pulling on a bone.  
  
When his thoughts settled on Jarod Hayes, however, his brows knit together in a tight frown. Hayes was likeable enough... pleasant... and smart as a whip. But there was something... not quite right. It bothered Harm that Jarod's paperwork had never come through, and the Admiral wasn't around to confirm the assignment. He rounded a bend in the running path, and picked up the pace a bit, as if stretching his limits would help him think better.  
  
Miss Parker sat back watching the bleak scenery go by. Any moment now she'd have Jarod in custody. She wasn't sure if she was ecstatic about it or not. The thrill of the chase being over. No.. no that wasn't it. Could she deal with having Jarod back in the clutches of The Centre? Especially now that The Centre wants him dead?  
  
Parker shook her head, not understanding why one moment the game had her wanting to catch him and the next she was hoping he would find a way to avoid capture once more. As a precaution, she and Sydney had decided to go at this separately. Syd decided to go to one of the other Naval offices while she decided to scope out this location, bringing along a single sweeper. They had promised to get in touch with the other within the hour.  
  
Parker stopped her car at a pedestrian cross walk and watched a tall jogger run past. He looked vaguely familiar. She glanced down into the open file of the naval officer Broots had selected as a possible contact, with whom Jarod might be associated. It was him. The one who had requested Jarod's file.  
  
Pulling her car to the curb, she jumped out and yelled at him. "Hey YOU!" Damn, what was his name? Hell, what was his ... what do you call it.. rank? She gave it a shot. "Commander!"  
  
Harm threw a glance over his shoulder--in the wrong direction at first. Not seeing anyone, he continued to run. A second shout, more insistant, brought his head around to the other side. The sight that met his eyes brought a mischievous grin to his features. It was Kate Pike, standing next to a silver grey car, clad in a mini skirt with matching jacket and fashion sunglasses. His grin broadened as he noticed the heels she was wearing. He almost winced in sympathy at their height; he couldn't imagine they'd be very comfortable.  
  
Switching directions, he jogged towards her, taking in her appearance with an appreciative gaze. "You're up early this morning." he greeted her, jogging in place to keep himself loose and ready to continue.  
  
Parker tapped her shoe on the pavement in annoyance. If she wanted to catch up to Jarod, she had to do so now before he caught wind that she was there to get him. 'Early this morning?' "How would YOU know my sleeping habits." She folded her arms across her chest then leaned against the car. She eyed him, appraising his physique, the only appreciative look she gave was raising a brow. Harm kept his pace in a bouncing run in front of her, and the motion was starting to annoy her. "Would you stop that." she demanded.  
  
"Early... and crabby." Harm remarked cheerfully, but he gradually dropped off and started to stretch to cool off. Now that he was close, Miss Parker was suddenly aware of his height. "So, " He flashed that grin again. "What can I do for you? I can see you don't need to borrow the 'Vette."  
  
Parker raised a brow, wondering what drugs this man was on. That, or he was some fluke experiment somehow connected to The Centre. "You can tell me where Jarod is." At least she hoped that he could tell her where Jarod is. She resumed tapping her foot, it was the only thing occupying her enough to keep her from wanting that cigarette. Although she'd slowed down lately, it wasn't enough to quit completely.  
  
Harm frowned a bit. "Said he was going to visit a Captain Avery this morning I believe" Harm grinned suddenly. "If you want to know any more... you're gonna have to keep up....and then let me buy you breakfast. You can use it, looks like you're suffering from toothpicitus." With that, he started back down the path, unwilling to lose his morning run to teasing over Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes.  
  
'What? What did that man say? How the hell did he make it so far in the Navy? Is the Navy completely full of idiots or is he just 'special'. And now he had the nerve to run off on her? She went to draw her own weapon but realized she had it locked in the glove compartment. 'Damn. What to do?'  
  
She hopped back into her car and tore off to find the end of the path. Once there, she retrieved her gun, shoved it in the waist of her skirt and waited for him once more. She once again leaned against the car, arms crossed, as the sweeper took up his station. Minutes later, the commander was coming into her line of sight.  
  
Harm raised his eyebrows at the sight of the car at the far end of the park, and he started to laugh in between hard breaths. She had to have waited for a few minutes; it was almost another two miles from one end of the running path to the other.  
  
He slowed his pace, starting to "cool down", and he stopped momentarily by a water fountain, taking a long drink before approaching her again. "Nice thinking, Counselor." he complimented. "Jarod left... I'm sure I told you this before, remember?"  
  
What was with this moron? "Riiiiight." Parker lowered her sunglasses, perching them on the end of her nose, then squinted up at him. "And... why would I know this? I assumed he was still here, playing sailor, hanging around with you bunch." She placed a hand on her hip, then took a step towards the tall man. "Where did he go? And when exactly is he returning?" Just her luck that Jarod would disappear the moment she arrived. He'd probably gotten wind of their arrival and taken off. Whoever informed him was going to be hobbling around for a month or two.  
  
Harm frowned heavily. Suddenly his instincts took over, and they were screaming. His memory flashed back to the recent evening in his apartment, and Jarod's reaction to Kate Pike.  
  
"Look, I don't know who you are, but since when did the affairs of the United States Navy become public knowledge?" All attempts at casual conversation with Kate's ringer were dropped, and his expression became deadly serious. Whatever this woman was to Jarod, it was obvious that she was dangerous. Whatever his doubts about Jarod.... he set them aside as he was faced with this predatory version of Kate Pike.  
  
"Who's to say the United States Navy isn't run by the Centre?" Parker growled in a deep voice. Her patience was wearing thin, and the next step she took, her hand encircled the weapon in her skirt waist. She was prepared for any sudden move this man made. "Now where is he?" She had to admit that he had thrown her off with the 'pretending to know her' act, but had shrugged, thinking perhaps Jarod had mentioned her to him. Now, looking into those hazel eyes, she was unsure of the situation. She swore at herself for letting herself get distracted by this man.  
  
Harm noticed the motion she made, and stiffened as he realized she most likely had a weapon. He could outrun those heels, but not a bullet. The area they were in was still fairly secluded; no one would notice anything was amiss until it was too late. His expression hardened a bit, the hazel eyes giving Parker a penetrating, sharp look. "I don't know exactly where he is, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." he replied evenly.  
  
A moment later, the barrel of her gun was leveled at his chest. Harm drew in a resolved breath. This *definitely* was not Kate. "Harmon Rabb, Jr. Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy. 989-54-8301. October twenty-fifth, 1963."  
  
"I won't repeat myself. I need to find Jarod, and I need to find him now." She held her stance, not wavering a bit. It was quite obvious she knew how to handle a gun. To her amazement, Harmon Rabb, Jr. did not move a muscle, simply standing there and holding her gaze with a steely resolve in his hazel eyes.  
  
"Harmon Rabb, Jr. Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy. 989-54- 8301. October twenty-fifth, 1963." His voice was calm and controlled as he repeated himself, the words deliberate and hard. Suddenly his eyes narrowed, gun barrel in his chest notwithstanding. "What did you do with Kate?"  
  
"Who the hell is Kate?" she spat. "What do I look like to you, your personal black book? You really should learn to keep track of your 1-900 dates." She took a couple steps back from him now. She knew better than to burn her bridges, so to speak, and having this battle of wills with the man who knew Jarod's whereabouts was pointless. He had already proved he was more stubborn then the average moron.  
  
Parker lowered the pistol slightly, "Look, I just need to find him. He's..." Should she take a chance? She looked into those hazel eyes, tried to judge this man. Finally she sighed, ".. he's in danger." Danger from Mr. Raines, and his sweeper teams.  
  
Harm's eyes remained squeezed into a squint, distrust registering in his features. "With someone like you looking for him, I'd imagine so." he finally replied. He continued to scrutinize this woman who stood before him; he could have sworn it was Kate playing some sort of bizarre joke on him. But there was something else... a coldness, that made it perfectly obvious that this was *not* Pike.  
  
Suddenly just across the way, another dark car pulled up to a screaming halt, and the doors flew open to allow the exit of five men in black suits. Black suits--and semi-automatic weapons. Bullets were flying before either of them quite had a chance to react.  
  
"Get in the car!" Parker hissed as she and Harm dropped down for cover.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere with you." Rabb replied, his eyes looking for their best escape route.  
  
"In the car, dammit!" Parker ordered again. The Naval officer didn't even acknowledge it this time. "Melvin!" she called out. Suddenly, from behind a nearby tree, another black suited man appeared and before Harm had time to react, was swinging with the butt of his weapon. Harm sagged forward, manifestly unconscious.  
  
Parker fired back at the advancing sweepers. "Get him in the car; he's my ticket to finding Jarod." She dropped one sweeper... then fired again, wounding the next one.  
  
Melvin, always prepared, flung a can of tear gas in their direction. Taking advantage of the break, Parker scrambled into the car and started it, barely waiting for the men to be inside before she screamed away from the curb. She fired her gun as she pulled away, blowing the back tire of the sweepers' vehicle. 


	8. Chapter 8

~*~*~  
  
Austin's Apartment  
  
1026 Hours  
  
Meg Austin placed the receiver back down into it's cradle, she stared at the phone a long moment before she became aware of the turmoil of emotions pouring through her body. She became faintly aware of her erratic breathing.. shallow, slow breaths to hyperventilating. A numbness overcame her, as if a protective shell surrounded her and held her together, she would not break down, not over something so.. emotional.  
  
She glanced back at the phone again, thinking that not even 15 minutes ago, her life was so full of happiness, Harm was coming back tonight and after things seemed to progress last night, she wanted to make him feel so welcome when he walked in through her door, and with any luck, some day *their* door.  
  
The phone, what seemed to be an unimportant piece of equipment, did more damage to her in the last few minutes then anything could have in what little time she spent in the military. OK.. she thought, so it isn't the phone, but the person on the other end that crumpled her world. The conversation still so clear within her mind. Closing her eyes, she recalled the scene once again.  
  
She was running around her apartment for last minute clean up and arrangements to surprise Harm when he returned. She wanted everything perfect for when she told him that she loves him, that he means so much more to her then her military career and she was willing to risk it for the chance to be happy with him. She was lost in her nervousness on how to go about telling him this news.  
  
"Sir, I have been thinking, and I .. " she said aloud. Then again to herself Oh, that's just brilliant Meg, call him -sir- before you tell him what's in your heart. "Harm, I love you!" raising a brow, somehow that didn't sound right. Sure, just blurt it out and give him heart failure and he passes out before we get anywhere else. "Harm, sometimes life is a gamble.." shoot, that sounds more like .. the thought went unfinished as the sound of the phone wrang through the apartment.  
  
Turning around to reach for the phone, she hoped it was Harm giving her a surprise phone call saying he will be here in a few minutes. "Hello?" No such luck..  
  
"Oh." There was a brief pause. "I'm sorry... perhaps I dialed the wrong number. I was trying to get ahold of Lieutenant Commander Rabb."  
  
"Oh he's here." Meg replied cheerfully. "Well, no.. I mean he's not here at the moment but will be coming back later. Can I take a message for him?"  
  
Lieutenant Commander Clark shrugged. Guess perhaps he got himself live voice messenger. "My name is Kimberly Clark, and I was just wondering if you could get him to stop by my place afterwards so I can give him back his.. personal belongings."  
  
"Personal belongings?" What was she doing with Harm's *personal belongings*?  
  
"Yes." She laughed, almost embarrassed to say. "He's been staying over every now and then and it just starts piling up."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Anyway... I finally washed them up and they're ready for pickup whenever he wants." Then as if an afterthought, "Oh and give him my love and tell him he's welcome for dinner anytime he can get away."  
  
"I see..." Why couldn't I get more then just an *I see* out of my mouth, I sound stupid, she thought to herself once again. "I'll give him your message, Commander." and with that, she replaced the receiver gently back onto its cradle.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Budg-it Motel  
  
11:15 a.m.  
  
The first thing that Harm was aware of was pain... a dull, throbbing ache at the base of his skull that seemed to spread through the rest of his head like spidery fingers. He felt like he was pushing through thick black curtains, trying to find some light. There were voices; none of them very distinguishable at first, a soft mumbling that seemed out of place against the throbbing cadence in his head. Suddenly he was aware of one voice that sounded familiar....Kate. No, not Kate.  
  
"I wanted you to bring him with us, not knock him into next year." There was the sound of some motion or other. "Wake him up." The next thing he knew, he'd gotten a strong whiff of smelling salts or something similar, and the resulting pain as he snapped his head up and opened his eyes made him groan and wince.  
  
The world was fuzzy, and he blinked, trying to focus his eyes. His hands... were handcuffed behind him, and he felt the hardness of a straight- backed chair beneath him. "Where..." His voice rough in a dry throat. "Where am I?"  
  
Parker leaned in to look at him, and Harm could have sworn that he saw a look of concern on her features. She saw the look in his eyes, and the mood change was swift enough that she hoped he didn't even notice it. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, she stepped back, sitting down in another chair beside him. "That's of no concern to you."  
  
Harm glanced around at his unfocused surroundings; the room looked like the standard small motel room. Hardly the sort of place he'd expect a woman of his captor's tastes to be. He closed his eyes momentarily, swallowing weakly as a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him. His eyes still closed as he struggled to cope with the uncomfortable sensation, he murmured, "You've assaulted and kidnapped an officer of the United States Navy. As I'm the officer in question... I'd say that makes it my concern."  
  
From somewhere just out of sight, a male voice spoke. "He doesn't look too good."  
  
"And whose fault is that?" Parker replied icily, not bothering to even look in the direction of the speaker.  
  
"What do... you want?" Harm opened his eyes again, but continued to blink as the room spun crazily.  
  
"I want you to tell me where Jarod is. When is he returning?" She glanced at her watch, time was slipping away and with every minute lost, she felt a desperation surround her heart. "Tell me where he is, lieutenant."  
  
"Lieutenant Commander." he coughed out.  
  
"What?"  
  
He shook his head slightly. "I've pointed out name, rank and serial number to you, the least you can do is get my rank right."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Parker rolled her eyes at him, then waved her sweeper off to go get the 'Lieutenant Commander' a glass of water. When he Melvin, she pulled her chair in closer. "I need your help, 'Lieutenant Commander.'"  
  
"Looks like it." Harm replied, jingling the cuffs against the chair, his tone slightly sarcastic. "I get the feeling... you don't need... anybody's help." He winced again, and closed his eyes. He couldn't fight the dizziness that assaulted him every time he tried to look around. Concussion, most likely. He decided he'd just keep his eyes shut for now; maybe it would go away in a few minutes.  
  
She knew what he was hinting at. "How do I know you won't do something stupid?" she arched a brow at him. Then again, he didn't seem to be in much shape to do anything. Getting up, she slipped the tiny key out from her bra and then unlocked the cuffs. She dropped them to the floor, and started massaging his wrists. "Is that any better?"  
  
Parker stood up, then retrieved the glass of water that Melvin brought in. She was still taken by surprise by this man. She met him accidentally at a shooting range where they were standing side by side, each hitting their target. They started to watch each other's abilities, and it soon became a competition on who could out shoot the other. Melvin had won by one perfect shot. It usually wasn't in her interest to go for coffee with anyone, but he intrigued her.  
  
Professionally that is. She had found out that he and his girlfriend, Keiko moved to Delaware and he was looking for a job that fit around his 'unique' ability and it so happened that after the attempt on her father's life, she needed a new personal sweeper. What surprised her was his gentleman like personality.  
  
"Will that be all, Miss Parker?"  
  
She nodded at him. "For now." Melvin went back to standing by the window, keeping an eye for any movement outside.  
  
Harm rubbed his wrists a little bit, then accepted the glass from Parker's hand. He sipped at it gratefully. "Thanks." he said, his voice a little clearer for having had the water. He handed the glass back to her, then slowly came to his feet, aware of having been sitting for far too long. However, the world spun crazily, and he swayed on his feet. He made a desperate grab for the back of the chair, but missed it completely as the dizziness skewed his perceptions. He stumbled to his knees, nearly falling into her on the way down.  
  
Parker almost leapt at him, but when he reached up to her for support, she hesitantly took his hand. She felt the warmth of his hand in hers. "Here, let me get you onto the bed." She motioned for Melvin to help her get Rabb onto the bed, and once there, Melvin went back to the window.  
  
Parker fluffed the pillow up behind him, then suddenly stopped, aware of what she was doing, quickly glancing at Melvin to see if he caught her in this attempt at an act of kindness.  
  
Harm instantly felt himself beginning to drift, the lure of being blissfully unconscious tugging at him. He blinked drowsily, but still managed to find his voice. "You said... you needed my help?" he murmured. "You first. Who the hell were those guys shooting at us? And what do you want with Jarod?"  
  
'Well.. its now or never.' she thought. 'Either I trust him, or I let Jarod die.' Parker sighed heavily, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Jarod is not who you think he is." Might as well cut straight to the chase. Then again, where should she start? How much information... classified information... could she allow herself to tell this 'lieutenant commander' of the United States Navy.  
  
Harm frowned a little, and tried to sit up. "What do you mean, not who I think he is? Who's he working for? NI?" His eyes narrowed a bit. "Webb. He's one of Webb's spooks, isn't he?"  
  
Parker gave him a quick 'don't interupt me while I'm speaking' glare before pinching her brows together in a 'what the hell are you talking about' look. Shaking her head, she ignored his curious questions. "Jarod is a ...Pretender."  
  
She sat back, glancing at Melvin who was watching her, giving her his support by providing a small smile. Anyone else watching him at that moment may have missed it, but that was part of the bond of employee and employer.  
  
Harm decided sitting up wasn't such a good idea, and he laid back, his head aching. He squeezed his eyes closed a moment, and swallowed a bit before asking the next logical question. "What the hell's a 'Pretender'?" He groaned a bit... it hurt to think, and this conversation was moving at a very different level than he'd expected.  
  
"Jarod has the ability... to become anyone he wants to be and to drive me insane by doing so." Her voice had become deeper because she was feeling a little annoyed at the memories of his past 'Pretends'. Unfortunately this one may catch up to him.  
  
"This week he's playing in the Navy's sand box. Next week he could be pretending to be something stupid like ..." Parker glanced around the small dark room for some idea of what he may become. 'Gawd this room makes me feel filthy.' "... well hopefully a hotel maid to clean this room up properly." She scrunched up her nose at the thought.  
  
"Wait a minute... you're telling me that Jarod was... impersonating a Naval officer?" He shook his head a tiny bit. "He could be brought up on some serious charges. Who are you? FBI? Naval Intelligence?" His voice softened, took on a dreamy sort of quality; he was slipping away again, and he struggled to stay conscious. "Is that why you... want... my help?"  
  
"Pretending... he was..." She let out an exasperated sigh. "Look. Just take some tylenol, get some rest. You're no good to me if you don't take care of yourself." She motioned for Melvin to get him what he required. Frustrated with the strange turn of circumstances, Parker snatched up her cell phone and walked off to call Sydney. He would want an update on Jarod, and she had to admit, she didn't have much information to give.  
  
Time was slipping away.  
  
Harm watched this mirror-image of Kate with a curious eye. He was just as frustrated... he was kidnapped, held against his will, then approached to help capture a man that only days ago had helped him clear up a very difficult, very messy murder case. It was all very confusing.  
  
Then there was this man... practically this woman's shadow... who had pistol-whipped him... and who was now offering him a couple of tylenol and more water. It seemed rather out of place to have his assailant turn around and take care of him. But then... none of this was exactly normal. He swallowed the pills slowly, still a little distrustful, but hurting enough that he was willing to risk it. After a few swallows of water, he leaned back into the pillows with a soft groan.  
  
A few moments later, his eyelids slid shut and he was drifting away into darkness. His hand slipped from his chest to fall on the bed, and his head turned slightly with the relaxing of the muscles of his neck. His breathing slowed and deepened, the expression of discomfort fading from his sleeping features.  
  
A couple hours passed. Melvin had gone out in search of food, so Parker decided to see what she could do regarding the lump on the back of Harm's neck, evidence of Melvin's sleep quick program. She placed a cold cloth filled with ice gently on the bump. She was watching him sleep, and the thought of a little shut eye was appealing. Instead she leaned her head in one hand as the other moved the ice cloth gently around his face.  
  
Her cell phone rang, startling her. She quickly answered it with her usual greet. "What." She stood up and walked over to the corner of room, not wanting to disturb the handsome man on the bed.  
  
The shrill of the phone was also enough to stir Harm awake enough to listen to her conversation, even that was a struggle as all he wanted to do was roll over and fall back to sleep.  
  
"Hi Syd. No, he's still asleep. No.. no.. I'm not sure what to do Sydney. I know time is of the essence. If we don't get to Jarod first, I'm afraid Mr. Lyle and his cronnie, Bridgitte will kill him. Has Broots found any more information... damn... When is your E.T.A.? Where are you two? You're about to land? Okay, see you then." She clicked off her cell, then tossed it down next to her purse. She then walked back over to sit in the chair next to Harm, resuming her same position, and dabbing the ice cloth on his injury.  
  
Parker's eyelids were getting heavier by the moment, and soon she too had fallen asleep. Her head sank to the edge of the bed, and her other hand with the ice cloth was placed on the bump and left there.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Airport  
  
1538 Hours  
  
Kate Pike glanced at her watch again for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes as she ran briskly into the airport.. As far as she knew, Jarod's flight was supposed to be landing at Gate 14B in about 10 minutes or so and she was panicked because she thought she would be late in picking him up due to the traffic. Sighing with relief, she decided to grab herself a coffee and sit in the non-smoking section of Starbucks Coffee which happened to be directly in the line of view of gate 14B.  
  
Sydney and Broots grabbed their luggage from the conveyor and wandered over in search of some form of transportation to take them to the motel when Syd spotted Miss Parker sitting in Starbucks. He tapped Broots on the arm and nodded towards the little coffee stand. "Looks like we have our personal driver here picking us up."  
  
Broots moaned in pain. "Thank gawd, I feel so cramped from that flight..."  
  
Sydney cut in, "Sorry Mr. Broots, but flying coach was the only way that we knew we could throw off the Centre's hound dogs." He felt a little sorry for Broots as he watched him hobble about, stretching out his cramped muscles. "Come on, we better hurry before she decides to leave us here."  
  
Kate savoured the vanilla flavoured coffee, she only hoped she could finish it prior to Jarod's arrival. Jarod, what an intriguing man, so mysterious. It's not that she had a personal interest in him, heaven forbid. Besides, she knew he had a special interest in this woman she resembled. It was more on a friendship level. He intrigued her with the knowledge that he knew of her dopleganger. Out of the blue, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned towards them with a questioning gaze.  
  
Sydney gave her a smile. "What are you doing here?" Was it his imagination, or did Miss Parker appear to look like she had a softness to her.  
  
Kate blinked at them, unsure of what was going on. "I'm here, waiting for... Jarod." What could she really say, it was, after all, why she was here.  
  
Sydney's brows shot up and his jaw dropped. "JAROD?! Jarod is here?"  
  
Jarod slung his dufflebag over his shoulder as he came off the plane, whistling slightly. He was dressed in khakis, his cover tucked neatly beneath one arm. His talk with the captain had proved most informative, useful.  
  
Smiling, he started out of the gate... and suddenly froze in his tracks. Across the way, talking to Kate Pike, were Sydney and Broots. It didn't seem that any of the three had seen him just yet, and it was obvious from the look on Kate's face that the other two had mistaken her for Miss Parker. Well, there would be no warning her... he hoped there were no sweepers. Pulling on his shades, he quickly started away from the gate, hurrying for the nearest outside exit. He would just have to catch up to Kate later.  
  
"Sure, Jarod should be here any minute." Kate gave them a welcoming smile. It seemed obvious that they knew Jarod, and somehow between the three of them managed to get confused as to who was going to pick him up at the airport. Oh well, might as make the best of it. "So, how are you two doing this fine sunny day?"  
  
Both Broots and Sydney swung their gazes to Miss Parker, towards each other, then back to Miss Parker. Their expressions to each other both asked if they were in the 'Twilight Zone'. Kate missed the exchange as she was involved with her coffee at the moment.  
  
The trio stood around the coffee table waiting for Jarod. Kate was lost in her own thoughts while Broots and Sydney were still puzzling over what may have happened with Miss Parker. They had been waiting over an hour for Jarod to arrive, and if they hadn't been in the 'zone'... under normal cicumstances, Parker would have lost her temper if she had to wait one minute past the arrival date. Instead she glanced at her watch every so often, shrugged it off and continued reading a magazine in between sips of coffee. 


	9. Chapter 9

~*~*~  
  
Parkade  
  
4:37 p.m.  
  
Andrew leaned back as far as he could within the cramped space of the van. In a way, he was thankful that the day had turned slowly into one of rain. This cooled off the parkade and he no longer felt like he was going to melt into a puddle.  
  
He had spent the afternoon watching the blonde cry herself to sleep. Prior she had received one phone call which when he relistened to it, made him smile. The idiot in her life should be out by now after that call.  
  
It was about an hour of watching her sit there on the edge of the couch staring at nothing in particular before she made a move towards the phone once again. The call was placed overseas and it was brief. 'Cancel the plan, don't make her travel yet, I'll be in touch.' He found himself wondering what that had been all about.  
  
Now she slept on the couch, curled around a pillow. The outside world forgotten for the moment. Andrew found himself wishing he could lay beside her and she would accept him for what he was, who he was.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Deleware  
  
"What in the hell do you mean they shot at my daughter?" Parker roared. Most things he could tolerate with minimum show of emotion but not when it came to his daughter. He may not show it often, but deep inside she was his little Angel. The one good thing in this life of misery that he created for himself.  
  
"I'm sorry sir." The team leader of the sweeper team apologized. "My men swore it was Jarod that she was meeting with." His number two insisted that he saw the back of Jarod, that he had been jogging and Parker had caught his attention but made no move to capture him.  
  
"You could have killed her." And with a sudden unexpected move, the old man waved his hand towards Lyle who smiled slyishly before shooting off a round towards the tall, lanky team leader.  
  
Blood dripped down his neck as the bullet pierced his ear lobe and he bit into his bottom lip to keep from screaming. If he could have peed his pants, he would have right then and there.  
  
"You threaten the life of my sister again..." Lyle clenched his jaw a moment before continuing, "... and next time I won't miss." He waited for the comment to register in his head, the only show of expression was the slight look of fear in his eyes.  
  
The team leader nodded his understanding, then bowed out of the office to look after his ear. There was no doubt in his mind that his team would never forget their incompetency that he had to pay the price for.  
  
The gunshot noise was loud enough for anyone standing outside the office door to dive for cover. When they saw the sweeper run out of the office holding his ear, the whisperings soon started as to what possibly could have been so drastic enough to cause the younger Parker to shoot at the man.  
  
Inside the older Parker still paced the room. "What was she doing in Virginia?" The anger of having someone attempt to shoot at his little girl quickly turned towards the one in question. "Why didn't she tell me that she may have tracked Jarod to that location?"  
  
"No one ever knows the thought rationalization of my sister." Lyle shrugged, blowing on his weapon slightly before reholstering it.  
  
"Find my daughter, Lyle." Parker sat down in his large leather chair. He had not quite got used to calling him 'son' and probably never will. After all, it had only been just over a year since the discovery of having the man call him 'dad' had been found out.  
  
Lyle, for his part, gulped down the glass of bourbon that he poured for himself earlier before nodding to the old man. At least he knew where to start looking and with any luck, he would find Jarod there too.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Budg-it Motel  
  
4:48 p.m.  
  
Nearly another full hour had passed, and Harm slowly came awake again. His eyes still closed, he turned his head slightly. He felt a cool dampness at the back of his head, and he exhaled in a slow sigh at the tender soreness in the same general vicinity.  
  
"Oww..." he murmured as moving again resulted in some discomfort. He certainly wasn't ready to open his eyes and face Kate's twin and her... bodyguard?... again.  
  
Parker's head snapped up, her first impulse was to grab her pistol while jumping into stance. She pointed the weapon around, covering Harm's position. Her heart thundered in her ears, and it took some time before it went back to it's normal beat. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head, almost embarrassed at what just happened. She noticed Harm's look of shock before he slammed his eyes back closed. She took the opportunity to lean in, lift his eye lids and look into his pupils. "About damn time you woke up." It was quite obvious her 'wall' was on its way back up.  
  
Harm turned his head sharply at her touch, then regretted it instantly as dull pain pounded lightly through his skull, the effects of the tylenol were easing up on the headache. He squeezed his eyes shut again for a long moment until it eased a bit more. When he reopened his eyes, he regarded his captor frankly. "Your bedside manner leaves a little to be desired." he remarked, reaching up with one hand to gingerly feel the bump at the back of his head. The ice that was melting on the pillow had helped somewhat; it was tender, but not as swollen as it had been before. He glanced back at her, recognizing her effort to help. "Thanks, though."  
  
Parker waved it off. She just wanted to get to the point. "Harm... is it Harm? I need to find Jarod. Please help me find Jarod. I don't care anymore whether you walk out that door. You're free to go, I'm sorry I kept you here this long, I just ... please." Her voice had the sound of desperation. She didn't know what else to do. According to the schedule Broots had shown her a day ago, Mr. Lyle was just around the corner and had no doubt they'll be on their trail if they weren't here already.  
  
Harm carefully fingering the sore spot. "It's not quite as bad, but... I'll no doubt have a headache for the next week." His smile widened just slightly. He regarded the gun that she still held at her side, and he raised an eyebrow. "I'd probably feel a little better if you quit waving that around and tell me why those suits were shooting at us."  
  
"You must never let your guard down, the moment you do, you're dead." She was referring to herself. Parker tucked her weapon in the waist of her now wrinkled skirt. "The men in the suits are a sweeper team dedicated to the search for Jarod." Parker searched for her purse, picking it up she dug around for the little square box inside. She needed a cigarette. "I'm unsure of how to explain the situation. Melvin is a sweeper. He's my personal aid. I guess the difference is that Mr Lyle's team wants Jarod dead. I want Jarod alive."  
  
Harm frowned a little bit, trying to follow this mysterious woman's story. "Alive for what?" he asked. Then he raised a hand. "Never mind. I assume it has something to do with his illegal impersonations. Well, I have to admit, that's quite a shock. Jarod is instrumental in helping us find out her murdered a Naval Lieutenant." Harm sighed; somehow it disappointed him deeply to know that Jarod was a wanted man. He glanced to his right... got his bearings, and slowly stood up. He held out a hand to the wall and steadied himself. "Well, guilty or not, he doesn't deserve to be killed. I'll help you."  
  
"Before we step out this door. I want you to understand one thing about Jarod. When I said he is a Pretender, he's a genius. He can become anybody, but, he does so for a reason..." All of a sudden she felt like she had to explain his reasons for what he did. "...Jarod helps the innocent. In a small way, he is the innocent." she whispered.  
  
Harm moved his hand away from his face, fixing her with a curious look. It was apparent to him that Jarod's--and this woman's--situations were....unique. And something of a paradox.  
  
He still wasn't certain at all of "Miss Parker", or of her intentions. But he did know that the sweepers in the park had meant business. And if they were after Jarod, the least he could do was try to save the man's life.  
  
"I don't know if my Admiral would agree with your assessment..." he finally said slowly, thinking briefly of the man he knew as Lieutenant Commander Jarod Hayes. "...but somehow, I do." Harm slowly brought his other hand away from the wall, testing his balance. "To answer your first question....back in the park. I don't know where Jarod is, to be honest. I just know he was going away for the day. Someplace north, I think. Had to go see a Captain Avery." 


	10. Chapter 10

*~*~*  
  
Bud Robert's house  
  
5:58 pm  
  
Jarod Hayes sat in his 'lair'. Two pictures sat in front of him. One of Parker, one of Pike. Both had similar poses but whereas one had a serious, no nonsense expression, the other had a full smile. Parker was wearing one of her traditional short skirt suits, grey.. to bring out the colour in her eyes. Kate, was decked out in full dress whites, her eyes slightly hidden by her cover. Again, he noted, it was a reflection of their personalities.  
  
He was hoping he would have had more time to prepare one or perhaps both ladies that the other had a sister, but with seeing Sydney and Broots hanging around Kate Pike, he doubted that he would have much time to prepare for anything.  
  
Besides. If Syd and Broots were here, that meant that Miss Parker and the rest of the Centre crew couldn't be that far behind. He wondered briefly, if he would even be able to complete this latest 'pretend'.  
  
Quickly glancing over to the table that was presently covered with papers and files of this case. There lay the information from day one up to today with his scribble notes from his meeting with Avery. He felt a little anger for finding himself straying off course as to the murder of the Lieutenant by the sisters. He must keep his head on straight now. Time was of the essence.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Budg-it Motel  
  
7:29  
  
Parker stepped out of the hot shower and goose bumps immediately covered her body from the coolness of the air conditioned room. She had become so desperate for a change of clothes that she wandered over to the Naval Surplus store across the way.  
  
She found it odd when one of the store 'clerks' had said it was nice to see her again. What did they mean by again? Instead of acknowledging the comment, she shrugged it off and meandered through the store for something, anything to change into temporarily until Broots brought her luggage.  
  
Finding a simple white shirt and skirt in the 'new' department as opposed to the 'used', Parker purchased them with cash, not wanting to leave a trail for the Centre to pick up.  
  
Now she stepped into the skirt, then slid into the shirt. It looked so stark boring that she tied the bottom of the shirt up to slightly reveal her stomach. Combing back her hair, she tucked it into a pony tail. Again it would have to suffice until she gets her bags. The 'natural' look would have to do too. If Sydney or Broots made one comment about her appearance, she would leave their bodies for the maid to discover the day after she left.  
  
Dialing Syd's cell number, Parker sat in the nearby chair taking a long sip of water she poured for herself moments ago. After a swallow, she wrinkled her nose. This would not do. Finally he picked up. "Where are you?"  
  
"I was just about to ask you the same thing?" Sydney's brows pinched together. Both he and Broots went to pick up another car rental, and when they returned to where she was sitting, she had disappeared.  
  
"What do you mean where am I? I'm at this barnyard hotel waiting for you to show up with my clothes!"  
  
"We're almost there, I figured that was where you might have run off to." There was no doubt in his mind that the Parker they all knew and loved had returned to her old self. Although he couldn't figure out why she would leave her luggage behind.  
  
Parker meanwhile found herself staring at the receiver before slamming it down. Was he on something? Perhaps drank too much on the flight out. That sounded like a good idea so she grabbed her purse with the intentions of wandering over to the liquor store to grab a bottle. She needed something to dilute the miserable taste of that water.  
  
Her mind wandered briefly to the man she held at bay here in the room hours earlier. Was he warning Jarod that she was here? No, she would have to trust him. Right now Harm was her only hope of finding Jarod first. She had to, for both their sakes.  
  
****  
  
Meg Austin's apartment  
  
9:14 pm  
  
It was a few hours later when the doorbell wrang that she realized she had drifted off to sleep, her dreams lost in her thoughts, adjusting to this new feeling of numbness. She found herself trying to get enough strength to walk to the door. Opening it slowly, she gazed upon the man who made her feel this way, there he was, standing there in casual wear of jeans, T-shirt, and his leather jacket hooked over his shoulder by his thumb. Eventually she gazed upon his face, his eyes, those smoldering hazel eyes, his smile, the smile that would melt any woman into a puddle.  
  
"What? Not even a welcome home hug?" he chided. He brushed past her into her apartment and placed his jacket down on the back of her couch. Looking around, he noticed the candles and flowers placed around different areas of her living room. "I came over as soon as I could and I did get your message, after something so mysterious as that, I certainly did not take my time." He smiled at her again. He wanted to tell her everything that had happened but for now, he noticed something wasn't right. Perhaps it was best he protect her from the insanity of the day.  
  
After agreeing to help Miss Parker find and protect Jarod, she drove him back to his apartment so that he could wash up and change. They had continued their discussion of Jarod and how he had been helping the Navy. Parker had agreed to wait at the hotel, and judging by her expression, she had not planned on staying very long at where they had been hiding out, until he called her to let her know Jarod had returned.  
  
Harm was about to leave when he noticed he had a message waiting. Jarod and Parker will have to wait a few moments. He had agreed to help him, he had not agreed to put his life on hold for them. Listening to the caller, he grinned and couldn't wait to see her. Now he stood before her.  
  
Meg couldn't think of anything to say to him, she just stared at him, afraid if she did say something, she would break, that all her emotions she now had all bottled up would just spill out.  
  
"So tell me, what is this news you couldn't wait to tell me about?" Harm walked towards her in what seemed like slow motion. He placed a finger underneath her chin and tilted her face up towards his. There he noticed tear stains down her cheeks and how her blue eyes were once again starting to water up. "Meg? Hon, what's wrong?"  
  
Meg backed away, his touch set off too many wanting memories. *No point in delaying the inevitable I suppose* "Harm, Commander Kimberly Clark called here. She was looking for you." She had to turn away from him, not look at him. It was bad enough standing so close to this man. She ached to be held by him, to feel that everything was alright. But, it wasn't alright, and she could feel her anger starting to emerge.  
  
"She was?"  
  
Meg turned around to face him, she wouldn't let his eyes weaken her fury. "How dare you..." she spat venomously, "did you think I wouldn't find out?" Harm tried reaching for her, but was taken aback with the sudden sting to his left cheek.  
  
"Get away from me Harm."  
  
"Meg, what are you talking about?"  
  
"What am I talking about? The commander made it quite clear to me what is going on." Meg walks towards the door, grabbing the door knob and swung it open. "Get out now!"  
  
Harm could see the hurt in her and knew he was the cause somehow. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. He walked towards the door, knowing if he didn't try to make her see, try to make her understand, that they would lose everything they fought so hard to keep. He saw a tear slip down her cheek. "Meg, you don't understand..."  
  
"Its clear enough as far as I am concerned. Now get out before I have you thrown out, Mr. Rabb" The pain she was feeling at that moment hurt beyond anything she ever experienced in her life. Who would have thought love could hurt, even more so then being shot.  
  
Harm could feel the moment slipping away and was getting angry at the thought that it was soon over. Pulling the door out of her grasp, he slammed it shut then turned to face her, his height still towered over her 5'11" frame. "Meg, you will listen to what I have to say, if I have to ORDER you to do so, then so be it!!" he snapped.  
  
Taken aback by this sudden turn of events, she glared at him, "We are not on duty, SIR! So, your orders won't work in my apartment." She noticed his closeness to her, and had to get away from him before he knocked down her defenses completely, so she headed for the comfort of her living room.  
  
Harm followed her, but gave Meg her distance. "Meg, I am not sure what she said to you, but whatever it is, it is not what you think..."  
  
"Not what I think? How could I confuse 'Harm can pick up his clothes he left here..." while saying this, Meg scrunched up her face in a mocking attempt to sound like the Commander. "Now tell me, how would YOU interpret that?"  
  
"It's definitely not what you think. We.."  
  
"Oh please, must you? I don't want to hear all the disgusting details Harm." Meg looked away and decided to turn up the volume of her stereo in hopes of drowning out his voice. Harm's voice... she won't falter or give into him.. she listened to her heart once before regarding this man, she will not do so again.  
  
"Meg, we are NOT sleeping with each other anymore. Yes.. yes we did have a relationship once, but that is in the past."  
  
"I don't care if you did or not. Your personal life is your own."  
  
"My personal life, includes you Meg"  
  
"No sir, it doesn't. Its not regulations."  
  
"To hell with the regs, we're no longer partners. You use that excuse when it is convenient for you. Just moments ago you told me that we're not on duty. Meg listen to me, I would not betray what you and I have."  
  
"Well what do you want me to say? That I love you?" she hissed. "Well I don't love you! The time we spent together was nothing. It meant nothing to me."  
  
"I know you're just saying that because you're hurt right now. Its just a lie, Meg."  
  
"Its quite obvious then that you don't know me, because its true. I used you. I don't love you, Harm." she can see the hurt in his eyes now. Meg wanted more, she wanted to push him as far as she could. She wanted to see him hurt as much as she felt right now.  
  
"Meg..." he whispered her name.  
  
"No of course not. I mean, tell me where the hell you've been all day then."  
  
Harm paused, knowing he couldn't tell her his real reason as to why he 'disappeared' for the day. He didn't want to jeopardize her life with the Centre folk "The Admiral needed something done immediately..." he lied as he stepped closer to her, she backed away. "Meg, if you didn't have feelings for me, why are you acting like this?"  
  
Meg found herself up against the wall, Harm looming over her. "Like what?" she stammered, avoiding his eyes. Again, she could smell the scent of his cologne.  
  
"Like you're jealous..." his voice getting softer as he stood over her now, pinning her against the wall. He reached for her, slid his arm around her slender waist.  
  
"You arrogant son of a...." she made an attempt to slap him again, but he was ready for her and parried her move by grabbing her wrist and pulling her body against his. He felt her tremble when he claimed her lips with his own. Brushing them gently at first, then kissing her fully, yet tenderly. Meg tried to squirm away, hold onto her resolve, but she felt herself give in ever-so-slightly to the pressure on her lips.  
  
He raised his head, brushing her forehead with another kiss, murmuring, "How could you ever think I would do that to you? I love you, dammit." He pulled away slightly, searching her eyes with his own. She was still slightly breathless, but he shook his head a bit. "If you don't want me to stay, then tell me to leave, and I'll leave."  
  
They stood there silently for a long moment, gazing at each other. Meg couldn't make her voice work.  
  
There was a sadness in Harm's eyes that made her ache. He exhaled slowly and turned around, heading for the door. Before she could say a word, he had slipped quietly out, closing the door behind him.....out of her apartment, out of her life.  
  
She felt her knees give away, and she stumbled to her couch where his jacket still lay across the back. Reaching for it, she curled herself around it, wondering just what she'd done. 


	11. Chapter 11

****  
  
JAG office  
  
0800  
  
Meg looked over the case file again for the umpteenth time. She must have reread the same paragraph over and over without absorbing any of it. She played the scene over and over again in her mind. Venting all her fury on him, slapping him, wanting to make him hurt as much as she did. She had no doubt she succeeded when she looked into his eyes right before he walked out of her apartment.  
  
And now... well.. this is what she feared the most. That whatever became of their relationship, if it had fell apart, how would they deal with completing this case together? Well, it was said and done. She would have to deal with it now, as will he. It was over and they both had to get past that or they would not even have a working relationship.  
  
The door opened and Meg quickly resumed scanning the file once again.  
  
"Too late, Lieutenant. I caught you." Rebecca Ryan strode into the office, smiling. "So, are you going to tell me how it went?" Ryan sat down in one of the leather chairs in Meg's office.  
  
"How what went ma'am?" she shuffled some papers around in hopes of finding something to talk to the commander about other then how *it* went.  
  
"Don't avoid the subject, lieutenant." she grinned. "Did you tell him?"  
  
Meg sighed then leaned back into her chair. "No ma'am, I did not."  
  
Becca searched Meg's face and saw confusion in her eyes, and something else. "Uh oh." Ryan stood up then and closed the door quietly, then sat back down in the chair. "You want to talk about it?"  
  
"There's really not much to say, ma'am. He stopped by, we both said what we had to say to each other, then he left." There was a slight tremble in her voice.  
  
Becca squinted her eyes. "And that was...?"  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it right now, ma'am." Meg could feel the lump in her throat.  
  
"Meg.." she leaned closer now. "You two didn't have a fight, did you?"  
  
Meg closed her eyes trying hard not to let the tear slip through. All she could do was nod. She fingered the leather material of his jacket that was draped across the back of her chair, the move did not go unnoticed by Becca.  
  
"May I ask then, what you are doing with his jacket?"  
  
Meg glanced at it, then at her commanding officer. "He left it at my apartment last night, so I brought it to work so I can ... give it back to him later."  
  
Rebecca started to think of ways of getting them back face to face as soon as possible. The longer they avoided each other, the harder it would be to face each other later. "Go now then."  
  
"Excuse me ma'am?" she blinked.  
  
"Admiral Chegwidden has a fitness report on Lieutenant Collins and I need you to get it for me, so while you're doing that, you can return Commander Rabb's jacket. Kill two birds with one stone." Rebecca stood up. "I'll expect that report on my desk by noon, Lieutenant." Ryan walked out of the office before Meg could come up with some excuse for not going.  
  
Meg stared at the door for a few minutes, feeling her heart beat faster. *oh great, this is all I need now, to face him.*  
  
*~*~*  
  
Budg-it Motel  
  
8:18 a.m.  
  
Parker sat quietly brushing her hair in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. She contemplated the evening's happenings. The tall handsome Navy man had returned back to the hotel to talk to her as promised and she wasn't sure whether she was shocked or not. A small part of her expected him to not show up.  
  
He seemed to be distracted though, not that it should worry her any. She had her own problems to deal with, namely that of saving Jarod's life. Although she found it frustrating when he would sit there in his own world, she really didn't have a choice in the matter but to sit there patiently, waiting for any details he may put forth.  
  
Harm had told her that Jarod had checked in with the office so that meant he was back in Falls Church, or somewhere near by. He also told her that he had phoned around to the few places where he may be hanging out, but he had no luck in tracking him down.  
  
Rabb had also asked her how she was going to go about 'capturing' Jarod. He still had his concerns about this whole deal, and wasn't too keen on the idea of just tying the man up and throwing him in some trunk or something.  
  
'That' seemed to be the question that made her pause in thought. How were they going to deal with Jarod once they confronted him? Right now they had the advantage of him not knowing they were there.  
  
Now was not the time to bring Jarod in. The Centre would have him killed on the spot. There had to be some way to make him indispensible. Put him back in the safety net. Surely Syd could find some reason to keep Jarod alive. They would have to put their heads together and find some loop hole.  
  
Still didn't cover off the question on how they were going to capture him. Only thing right now that she was sure of was that she could not... would not bring Jarod in. That would be like signing off Jarod's death certificate. All they.. she could do was warn him of what The Centre had planned for him. The question now was, would he believe them?  
  
*~*~*  
  
Judge Advocate General  
  
0927 hrs  
  
Harm entered the office and tossed his cover on the desk. He was glad to see he was alone for the moment. Sitting down in his chair, he rested his head in his hands a moment and sighed. He could almost still feel the sting of the slap, even though the physical sensation was long gone. He thought about the soft touch of her lips on his, the scent of her perfume....the hurt in her eyes, her voice. *Well.....* he thought to himself. *I can't force what is not wanted.*  
  
He sat up in the chair and opened a file, trying to focus on the day's work. But he found himself thinking of *her*, wondering what she was doing now. Finally he just slammed the file shut, angry. Angry at the situation....angry at himself for letting Meg slip through his fingers. "Damn!" he swore, just as the door opened and Sarah stepped in.  
  
"Good morning to you, too, Harm." Mac blinked a bit. "Running a little late today are we?"  
  
Rabb glanced up irritably. "You *could* knock, you know." He didn't mean to be sharp with her, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Mac snapped back, startled and a little perturbed at Harm's shortness. "I just came by to ask you for the Neiman file." Sarah frowned a little bit. "Are you okay?" Harm glanced up at her, and there was a spark of...something...in those hazel eyes that almost made her take a step backward.  
  
"Of course, Major. Any reason why I shouldn't be?"  
  
*Major?* Sarah's frown deepened a little. *Not Mac? What is going on here?* "All right....you say so. I'll have this back to you in a little while."  
  
MacKenzie turned around and left, closing the door behind her, and Harm leaned back in his chair with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. *Great....now I'm alienating my partner, too.* Rabb opened a drawer and took out a picture that he'd kept there for a few years now. It was a snapshot of himself and Meg, taken not long before her transfer to NCIS. They were both in their whites, and the breeze had been strong enough to ruffle her hair a bit.  
  
He traced her face with a fingertip, knowing that he had lost her....probably for good. Harm glanced out the window, feeling suddenly very tired. He hadn't slept much last night. He put the picture back in the drawer, and stood up. He knew he was going to need coffee....a lot of it...to get through today. Picking up his mug, he made his way out to the coffee maker.  
  
Suddenly, he froze, and put the mug on the table beside the carafe. There she was, walking toward him with a purposeful step, her face a mask of formality. He felt his heart slam against his chest as she approached, and he struggled to keep his voice calm.  
  
"Lieutenant Austin." he greeted carefully.  
  
Meg came within a few feet of him, and then held out his jacket. "You left it." she said simply.  
  
Harm took it from her fingers, longing to take her hand for even the briefest instant, but he couldn't....not here. He held her gaze for an instant, searching her eyes for any hint of what was going on inside her head, her heart. But her expression was just.....professional.  
  
It looked like she was about to leave. "Quick question?" He watched her expression. It reflected surprise before nodding then biting her lower lip.  
  
Meg glanced around a moment after answering his question regarding her letter opener, then nodded at Rabb, unsure of what else to say. "Have a good day, Commander." She turned on her heel and left, the sound of her heels clicking on tile, echoing in his ears, as if they were the only two people in the hallway.  
  
Harm realized he'd been holding his breath, and he exhaled slowly, draping the jacket over one arm and picking up his still-empty mug to return to his office.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jarod sat by himself in the small kitchen are sipping on a glass of water. He rose and paced thoughtfully, filtering the dual images of Kaitlyn Pike and her unexpected twin through his consciousness. The rational thinking part of his mind was already working to unravel the Centre's part in all of this, for undoubtedly there was more to it than met the eye; there always was when it came to the Centre. To the Parkers.  
  
Miss Parker...  
  
From his place now nearly in the middle of the room, Jarod cast a glance back toward the two pictures, lying side by side on the table where he'd left them. The more restless, active part of his mind was dancing over the details...how alike and yet how different the two women really were. What would happen when they saw each other face to face? He could picture the expressions...one mistrustful and suspicious, the other open- mouthed and shocked, both women suddenly faced with an answer to a question neither of them had really ever asked before..."Who is my family?"  
  
For despite Mr. Lyle's claim to Parker blood and the outside possibility raised by Ben Miller's presence in her mother's life that her father wasn't really her father, Miss Parker had always remained sure of herself, who she was and where she was going. That, Jarod was quite sure, was all about to change dramatically.  
  
Miss Parker...  
  
Jarod picked up her picture again, looking at the immaculate presence, the porcelain features, the perfect makeup and manicured fingers...the image that Parker projected to the world. But if you could look just closely enough...at her eyes...even in a photograph, those expressive eyes betrayed her, a soul full of raw pain with no answers, much like his own and oddly enough for similar reasons if not similar personalities.  
  
It crossed his mind suddenly that meeting Kate Pike was likely to deepen some of those wounds, the loss of her mother and everything that represented to her. And just as suddenly, almost surprisingly, Jarod found himself wanting to simply put his arms around her and tell her everything would be all right. That they would find the truth together...  
  
He blinked suddenly, refocusing on the picture. Where had that come from?  
  
Well...he told himself belatedly, it wasn't entirely a mystery... "Because I still remember the little girl who gave me my first kiss..." His words to her in the Florida Keys suddenly sprang up to haunt him, and he swallowed a little. He had bared a little of his soul to her that night without even quite realizing it. And now with the introduction of a sister...a twin Parker had been unaware of, he was sure that he was about to bare a little of her soul, whether she liked it or not. Gently, he told himself...gently.  
  
Jarod shook his head and put the picture back down on the table in a firm motion. He had to keep his wits about him, for soul in anguish or not, Miss Parker was still the huntress, and he the hunted. Wherever this new revelation took them both on their quest for the truth, he had to remain mindful of the game, the cat-and-mouse roles they had assumed over the past years. There was no place in it just yet for shy kisses or tender comforts. Perhaps there would be one day, maybe fate had been sealed between them that day as children.  
  
But that day was not today.  
  
Today he was simply faced with the task of reuniting sisters long separated, and to try to stay free long enough to protect them both. That was challenge enough, and if he could accomplish that, whatever else fate had in store for them would come in its own good time. 


	12. Chapter 12

*~*~*  
  
Friday Evening  
  
Harm's Apartment  
  
1900 hours  
  
It took a few moments to answer the insistant knocking on the door. "COMING!" he yelled. Opening the door with a rather irritated look on his face, he was surprised to see Sarah standing there. "Mac??"  
  
"I hope so, otherwise there are two of us running around in town." She smirked.  
  
"Are you trying to give me nightmares, Major?" he bantered. He was desperately trying to keep the mood light, especially after this morning when he had snapped at her, vented out his frustrations to the first person who happened to walk through his office door, and that had been McKenzie.  
  
"Oh shush up, grab your jacket, I need pizza." she placed her hands on her hips. She could see in his eyes that he was still quite upset about whatever that had happened prior to this morning. She knew he needed a friend right now, whether he knew it or not.  
  
"Is this your way of asking me for a date?"  
  
Tapping her foot on the hard wood floor, she raised a brow at him. "Forget about that dress whites and gold wings thing Harm... I already told you once that was over rated... it's dinner time and I'm hungry.. get your coat."  
  
"Mm hmm. We'll see." Grinning, he grabbed his jacket, shoving Sarah out the door, then locked up his apartment. "So, since you asked me on this date, where are you taking me?"  
  
She just glanced at him, and said one word. "Pizza." Sarah pulled her jeep in front of a dark little building. Harm glanced at it, hoping that this was not the place they were going to have dinner. It didn't appear to be a place that would serve good pizza.  
  
The exterior of the building was almost run down. The appearance was a shabby little shack that looked like it could almost fall apart with the lightest of breezes. There was only one medium sized window and a single wooden door.  
  
Stepping out of her jeep, he immediately sensed the aroma of pizza. Harm followed Sarah into the little restaurant. The interior was just as dark, little candles on the eight tables that were spread about the main floor. He could see the cook through the open passageway throwing the dough in the air. Harm had to admit that there was some feeling of atmosphere here that he enjoyed.  
  
Their waiter sat them at a table where the little window was. "Nice to see you again Sarita." Sarah in turn, smiled. "The usual for you and your young man?" he inquired.  
  
"Please." It was all he waited to hear. "And he's not...." she trailed off and watched him walk away. She avoided looking at Harm by glancing out the window.  
  
"I'm afraid to ask what the usual is."  
  
"You'll see." Mac sighed, relieved that the topic was changed. "So, did you talk to Meg about the letter opener?"  
  
"Mmm, I did, yes." he waited for her to prompt him, and she did not let him down.  
  
"And??"  
  
"And.. you were right, it was a gift." Harm watched as their waiter scurried in to drop off two glaces of root beers on their table. He took a sip. "She said that she didn't question it being missing because she thought it was taken out of the office for evidence to the crime.  
  
Sarah sat back smugly. "So the question now is... where is it?"  
  
*~*~*  
  
Meg Austin's Apartment  
  
2138 hours  
  
Meg self consciously looked over her shoulder once again. She spent the last hour walking around her living room talking to herself about this case. At this point she was willing to work on anything just to keep her mind off other things.  
  
"Forensics found blood at the scene, blood that was not the victims." Tapping the report lightly, she skimmed further down. "Rare blood type even, gee that cuts it down to a couple hundred thousand people." Flipping through the papers, she settled on the photos taken of Samantha's body on the floor, various angles and came across one with her right hand placed by her face. "Broken nail..." Grabbing the forensics report once again, she looked for any information saying they found skin under her nails.  
  
The phone rang and she involuntarily jumped before answering it. "Hello?"  
  
"Lieutenant Austin?"  
  
"This is she."  
  
"Lieutenant JG. Bud Roberts, ma'am."  
  
"Bud, how are you?"  
  
"Fine ma'am, thank you." he was trying to sound professional. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry it took me this long to get the information you requested from Commander Rabb."  
  
The mention of his name made her suck in air. *What was it I requested? Think... * "No problem."  
  
"I finally managed to get the video tape of the parkade from security. I think we may have something." he paused. "The tape shows a man in black walking out of an elevator at around the same time the murdered occurred."  
  
"Do we have a good visual?" she sat up straighter. *Its possible we may have our lead.*  
  
"We're working on enhancing it now ma'am. I just thought perhaps you would be interested. The commander did tell me to keep you advised."  
  
"Thank you Bud, excellent job. You just made my night." she checked her watch. "What are you doing still at work at this hour?" Meg went towards her bedroom to get changed, she was going to go and see this tape for herself.  
  
"I had my exam tonight and I was so wired, I figured I would come in and follow up on this."  
  
"I owe you big time. Listen, I'm getting changed now and will be in ASAP. I'll see you then, lieutenant." Meg hung up the phone and changed out of her Navy sweats into her khakis. She pinned her short blonde hair back into a pony tail, grabbed her car keys and walked towards the door before pausing. "Guess I better take these in case I need them." Scooping up the case files, she then left to go find her Mustang in the parkade. It was a little cool to have the top down tonight.  
  
*~*~*  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
2146 Hours  
  
Jarod had returned to JAG, on the principle that most of the others would be gone and he would have time to put himself to work before Miss Parker and the  
  
Centre could draw a bead on him.  
  
Dinner with Kate Pike had proved to be a good beginning, a chance to plant the seed in her mind that she had a sibling who would want to know of her existence. Jarod was leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled together in a posture of thought. One thing was certain, however. Once Pike and Parker were introduced to one another, there would have to be safeguards put into place to protect the Naval officer from the Centre. They must not be allowed to get their demented hands on her. Well, there would be at least a little time allowed for that later on.  
  
Sitting up straighter, he turned his train of thought to the Samantha Collins  
  
case...Collins and...Arsenal. All of it, he thought bleakly, turned on the Centre. Arsenal, after all had been a Centre project, contracted through the U.S. Navy. His simulations of its use had indicated it would be a great asset to naval operations. Except that they had presented it to him without explaning that it wasn't truly operational. That there were flaws. He ran the sim like it was a flawless, perfect creation of technology.  
  
A creation of technology that Samantha Collins had died for. What had his  
  
curiousity now however, was not so much what she died for but...how she died. He had the photographs strewn all over his desktop now, the pictures of her body lying  
  
there in the office, the blue eyes staring emptily, lifelessly. Lying with her limbs akimbo, covered in blood and the gun lying close by, presumably where nerveless fingers had dropped it upon her death.  
  
Jarod opened another file that was on his desk; this one contained the autopsy and category of physical evidence from the office in which Collins lost her  
  
life. The cause of death had been ruled to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to  
  
the head; the broken neck coming from the subsequent falling of the body against  
  
the corner of the desk on the way down.  
  
Falling against the desk...  
  
Jarod pulled the pictures closer again, eyes searching, his expression  
  
reflecting intense concentration. His finger idly traced the image of the sharp  
  
desk edge, and then the position of the fallen body. Dark eyes gauged the distance between the body and the desk, then glanced up to follow the edges of his own desk, his mind working over the mental image of Samantha Collins standing before it with a gun to her head...  
  
"No." He finally murmured to himself, completely convinced, like Commander  
  
Rabb, that this was not a suicide. This had been murder. "This was made to look like she killed herself, but her neck was already broken."  
  
Rising silently from his seat, photographs still in hand, he wandered through the bullpen, mind still working over his conclusion with razor- sharp precision. He paused a moment, cocking his head slightly. Mac's office would do.  
  
Picking a lock was not a problem for a genius, but Jarod was spared the exercise in breaking and entering as the door had been left unlocked. Stepping inside and closing the door, he glanced at the pictures, then closed his eyes, thinking.  
  
Pretending.  
  
In his mind's eye, he was Samantha Collins, closing up after a long day, perhaps already thinking of home and what she would make for supper. Maybe she had looked out the window, checking the weather for the trek across the parkade...  
  
Jarod drifted over by the window, his eyes open again, but seeing things as Samantha Collins would have seen them. There was a noise...someone opening the door.  
  
Jarod snapped around sharply, his heart thudding in his chest as a faceless stranger entered the office...it was dark...his hands and face were covered. But there was no scream...only the shattering of a lamp...had she thrown it, or had the killer knocked it aside in his haste to get to her?  
  
Jarod's fingers brushed against the lamp sitting on Mac's desk, and he knew instinctively that Samantha had been the one to throw the lamp, attempting to deter her assailant. Her wrists were grabbed as the killer jerked her up short, close, his breath hot in her face and her heart fairly leaping from her chest in fear. In desperation, she broke one hand away and searched vainly for something...anything...  
  
The letter opener. Jarod abruptly stopped, looking at the pictures again. A letter opener that was now missing and sure to contain traces of blood that might prove useful in identifying the killer.  
  
Find the letter opener...and he might just find the answers Commander Rabb and Lieutenant Austin were searching for.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Budg-it Motel  
  
2157 Hours  
  
Annoyed didn't even begin to describe how Parker was feeling at the moment. Once again, at the whims of Jarod's genius, she was stuck in a cheap dive of a motel, wishing desperately for a drink and chain-smoking to preserve her sanity.  
  
At least the air conditioning worked.  
  
The whims of genius. Pausing in her pacing for a moment, Parker glanced at the gun that laid on the table nearby. A gun that had been aimed at that genius more than once, but now may be called upon to save his life. Because his weren't the only whims that were controlling her present state of misery. Accompanying them were the whims of Mr. Raines, and the sweeper team that even now was searching this little naval hellhole for their target.  
  
"Jarod. God, isn't there anything in my life that doesn't revolve around that man?" She finally exclaimed aloud, a mini-explosion of frustration as she raked a hand through her hair.  
  
"Anything I can do for you, Miss Parker?" Melvin poked his head into the motel room, having been standing outside for a little air.  
  
"Yes..." Parker's tone was a cross between pleading and menacing, a combination that was somewhere between 'help me' and 'I'll kill you now.' Oddly interesting to say the least. "Tell me where the hell that Navy officer, Rabb went. He's supposed to be telling me where Jarod is, not leaving me here to rot while Raines' little toy soldiers attempt to blow our sailor-boy's head off."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Melvin replied instantly, politely. Parker looked up at the ceiling; in her current emotional state the sweeper's polite manner was almost sweet enough to bring on a sugar overdose. It was a signal of an imminent explosion, and Melvin quickly followed up his acknowledgement, "There's some kind of Naval institute or center around here, in town."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Austin's Apartment Parkade  
  
2200 hours  
  
Hawkes let out a long series of cuss words that would have made a sailor blush. When he *listened* to this lieutenant talking to herself out loud, he smiled to himself knowing his little devices were working. He started to worry, but only briefly when she was reviewing the forensics report, and she was talking about his blood type. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing until she received that damn phone call. He sat up immediately when he heard about the *man in black*. They had discovered a video. It was now possible that they had a visual on him.  
  
He watched her change, feeling a slight surge run through his blood before his mind switched over to survival mode. He would have to get his hands on those files, especially that video. *As soon as she leaves....*  
  
That idea was quickly dashed when he saw her scoop up the files and tuck them securely into her brief case. Hawkes turned off the surveillance equipment and hopped into the driver's seat of the van. He waited for her to emerge from the elevator.  
  
A few minutes later, she walked out. She appeared to be fumbling for something while balancing her brief case, hat and keys. He watched her place an object on her shoulder and lean into it. Swinging open the glass doors, he could hear her talking now.  
  
"Yes ma'am.... yes, just received a call saying we may have a visual on our man.... no ma'am, they're working on that right now. Yes.. yes.. I'm on my way over now." He heard her say *rats* when she dropped her car keys and he had to laugh because he would have been saying something worse then that if it was him.  
  
He watched her bend down to fish around for her keys, still managing to balance the other items in her arms. "No, I have not talked to him." *Him? Who him?* he thought. "No. Actually ma'am, it was he who asked Lieutenant Roberts to inform me regarding the tape.... No, I doubt the commander will be there." *Oh, that him.* he scowled. "Alright, yes ma'am. I will see you then."  
  
She closed her cellular, fished out her keys from under her vehicle, then climbed into her car. He heard the roar of her engine as it fired up. He seemed to be half mesmerized as he was barely paying attention because she backed up her Mustang, and while shifting it to drive, she glanced in his direction.  
  
Not wanting to bring too much attention to himself, he glanced away and pretended to gather his belongings before he got out of his van to go *home*. He was relieved to see, she showed no general interest in him whatsoever. Although, come to think about it, that probably was a bad thing. She probably had interest in the Navy's *poster boy* he saw her with the other day.  
  
He growled, suddenly disgusted with himself for the way he was dressed, or smelled for that matter. It was damn hot sitting in a van all evening, watching her. He must admit, he felt a tinge of regret for having to kill her soon. 


	13. Chapter 13

~*~*~  
  
J.A.G.  
  
2214 hours  
  
Jarod reached down to the desk, fumbling his fingers along the desk edge as Samantha must have done, curling them around Mac's letter opener that was lying on the blotter. He twisted around, lifting the opener to defend- Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
Jarod turned around to face the tapping foot and serious face of Kate Pike. In her civvies, it was almost exactly turning around and facing a very impatient Miss Parker. For a split second, his heart leaped into his throat and he sucked in his breath in an audible gasp, and in that moment of 'fright or flight,' the letter opener swung around in a self-protective motion.  
  
Now it was Kate's turn to look startled; for the second time Jarod looked as if he was about ready to jump out the nearest window, and the first time he had talked about that lookalike he seemed to...well, want to avoid. "I'm...sorry." Jarod apologized, recognition taking hold in the next instant and the point of the opener lowered as he placed it back on the desk. "How long were you standing there?"  
  
Kate smiled, Jarod's pleasant demeanor taking over and smoothing the awkward moment. "Long enough to wonder just what in the world it is you're doing in here." She replied, just as pleasantly.  
  
Echoes of Parker were replaced with Kate's affable personality and he smiled back at her. "Trying to...walk a mile in someone else's shoes." He said it with just the right amount of curious inflection that it made Kate wonder if somehow he had never heard the phrase before until just recently.  
  
She looked at the letter opener, now lying harmlessly on the blotter just where Jarod had picked it up from. "Samantha Collins' shoes." She surmised. Dark eyes blinked and he nodded once in confirmation. "She was terrified, and yet had the presence of mind to try to defend herself with a letter opener. A letter opener that seems to have oddly been overlooked."  
  
"First rule of investigation...establish physical evidence...what the hell happened to it?" Kate turned her own mind to the question that now occupied Jarod's, reaching for the photos that he had in his hand.  
  
The motion, so smooth, reminded him again of her twin, and he hesitated a split second before handing the pictures over to her.  
  
Kate accepted them from his hand, but her eyes met his in a curious stare. "What is it? You know, I'm really starting to wonder about this..."twin" I have roaming around out there somewhere. I think she must be out there giving me a bad name." She smiled again, teasingly. "She must be a real baaad girl. You know...when I was supposed to be meeting you at the airport...you do remember that you completely stood me up this morning, right?...there were two men there that were looking for you. An older guy and someone who looked like a...lab rat or computer geek."  
  
Jarod had to stifle a chuckle; Broots had been called far worse things by Kate's sister than a "geek." "Oh yeah?" He asked, with just the right amount of curious surprise. "Who were they?"  
  
"I don't know; I was about to ask you the same thing. But they sure acted weird...like they knew me or something. I've never laid eyes on them before in my life." She shrugged. "Where were you this morning, anyway?"  
  
"I...got a little diverted." Jarod answered evasively. The less Kate found out about the Centre and its minions, the better. Her safety might mean keeping her existence from even Sydney and Broots. He motioned toward the pictures, attempting to move things back to the subject at hand. "According to the...rules of investigation, what do you think our next move should be to recover the missing evidence?"  
  
Kate rifled through the pictures, giving them the once-over, her sharp eyes taking in the details. And it was in that instant that she spotted something that in all Jarod's examination, the Pretender himself had actually missed. "Look at this." She pointed at the picture, at Samantha Collins' body. "Jarod, what does that look like to you?"  
  
Lying beneath her body, just barely visible so as to almost look like a flaw in the photograph, was a shiny tip of metal. "Like the point of a letter opener." His eyes narrowed. "Someone on the investigation removed it after these pictures were taken."  
  
"Looks like our killer had some help." Kate looked up at him. "And it's amateur help at that...a professional would have removed such simple physical evidence from the scene. I'll bet you anything that letter opener is still in the building. Percentages lie with an amateur hiding rather than disposing of a piece of incriminating evidence." She handed the photos back. "So when do we go?"  
  
"Go?" Jarod asked, following Pike as she turned and walked back out into the bullpen.  
  
"Back to the scene, Commander. We have a letter opener to look for."  
  
"At...2245?" He glanced at his watch, rapidly sweeping the entire file into its folder.  
  
"Why not? No time like the present to dig up some dirt." She led the way from the office, confidence in her step, and at that moment Jarod found the resemblance to her twin very appealing. Very appealing indeed.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Budge-It Motel  
  
10:18 p.m.  
  
Parker sat in the chair, staring at the tv set, not really paying much attention as to what was on. Swirling the glass of Black Russian in her glass, the ice was starting to chill it, and she slowly brought it up to her lips to taste the liquid on the tip of her tongue.  
  
A knock on the door caused her to shift her gaze from the television set to the door and her jaw tensed, holding in the instinctive bark. Instead it was a simple word. "What?!"  
  
Melvin opened the door slightly, not looking within. Instead his eyes were watching the vehicle make it's slow steady approach towards the hotel. "They're here."  
  
"About bloody time." With one quick swallow, Parker finished off the remaining drink, slammed the glass down, stood up and walked over to the door to stand outside with Melvin.  
  
The dark blue vehicle crept slowly into the entrance way of the Budg- it Motel. Slowly it made it's way toward them as she could make out the driver's head bobbing up and down trying to read the room numbers. "We're over here, you moron."  
  
It was about that time that Broots made out the tall small figure of Parker up ahead, tapping her foot. "Looks like someone is slightly impatient."  
  
"Mmm.." Doctor Greene affirmed.  
  
Pulling up into the free parking space in front of the room, Sydney barely even had his seat belt off when the door was yanked open.  
  
"About time you got here, what the hell happened? Moron here make the wrong turn?" Her main concern for the moment was to grab her suitcase from the trunk and get out of the Navy duds that she was forced to wear all day.  
  
It didn't go unnoticed by Broots. "Looks like Jarod isn't the only one pretending to be Navy." He bobbed his head up and down in a snicker believing he had just made a funny. The expression on his face didn't last long when he saw the cold menacing look on Parker's face.  
  
"I'll...unload...the uhm...trunk." Any excuse was good enough to remove himself from that cold icy glare. As he made his way to the back of the vehicle, he could feel her eyes on his every move. A shiver went down his spine and he swore to himself to keep his trap shut the rest of the night.  
  
Parker stepped back so Sydney could step out of the car. "So.. I'm no closer to finding Jarod than I was a day ago." Making their way back into the hotel room, she quickly gave the older man a run down as to what had happened the last while.  
  
~*~*~  
  
2238 Hours  
  
Outside Harm's Apartment  
  
Sarah stopped her jeep in front of his apartment, she let it idle. Looking over at her passenger, she noticed he was lost in thought. He had been sort of withdrawn most of the evening, none of their usual playful banter except for when she first picked him up. Something was bothering him. "Penny for your thoughts."  
  
He blinked once then looked at her, a slight smile creeping across his face. "If you thought the Navy didn't pay much, you Marines couldn't afford Naval thoughts."  
  
Sarah rolled her eyes, desperately trying not to give him the laugh she wanted so much to let out. To do so would give him the idea that he had won a round with her. It was an unspoken law between them, that there was a competition in everything they do. Somewhere along the line, the urge to prove herself to the military that she was just as good or even better then any man had turned into a competition of which one of the two could out do the other. Never though, did it ever interfere in their job.  
  
"Would you like ... to come up for a cup of coffee?" he asked.  
  
"Ugh, sure." Maybe then she could probe him to see what was bothering him so much throughout the day. Shutting off her vehicle, she climbed out and waited for Rabb to do the same thing. Once locked, she turned on the alarm system, the sound of a *twerp twerp* echoing.  
  
Harm lead the way to the elevator and it wasn't long before they entered his apartment. It was a cool contrast from the muggy temperature outside. It was going to rain, again. "Make yourself at home, Major."  
  
She sat at the edge of the couch and watched him prepare their coffee. Her curiosity got the best of her, so she dove in. "So, are you going to fess up and tell me what has had you distracted all day?"  
  
"What makes you think I've been distracted?"  
  
She frowned at him, "Please, you moped around the office all afternoon, and you almost bit poor Bud's head off. So, come on. Tell."  
  
He turned back toward the coffeemaker, but then it was like the world stopped. He just stood there, staring down at the counter, unmoving, unspeaking... his tall frame shuddering as a deep sigh escaped him.  
  
"Must be something pretty damn big." She squinted her eyes at him, unsure of whether to push it. But if he didn't talk about it, it would just eat at him, and she was very worried about her friend. Sarah stood up and walked over to stand next to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
  
"No." he finally replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He was still staring at the spot on the counter, and beneath her touch, Sarah could feel him tremble slightly. Finally he closed his eyes and drew in a deep, steadying breath. "Mac...I'm thinking of leaving D.C. I'm going to ask the Admiral for a transfer." Perhaps the symptom would be explanation enough to mask the root cause. Right now it just hurt too much, was too raw. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold off the awful ache in his heart.  
  
'What the hell did he just say? Leaving? Transfer?' Sarah's eyes shot open wide, and she didn't bother to stop the look of shock on her face. "Why in the hell would you want to do that?" The words were out of her mouth before she knew it. "Harm, what is going on in your life that would make you even consider something so... outrageous?"  
  
Harm turned away, leaving the coffee basket still on the counter, and he retreated to the sofa, sitting down slowly. "Once I thought I could risk it all." he murmured, half to himself. "It was worth it. But now....now I don't have to risk anything...and I've lost it all anyway." He knew he wasn't making any sense, but he was speaking out of his hurt....his *loss*.  
  
Meg Austin was his world, but by the time he'd finally realized it....it was too late. She didn't want him....didn't need him...didn't love him. He swallowed hard and put his head in his hands, never minding that Sarah was still there watching him.  
  
Sarah pushed herself away from the cuboards, walking over to Harm once again and then squatting down next to him. She could see his face partially, and what she could see was the intense look of pain, of longing. "I don't understand. I'm not sure what you're trying to say." She was feeling a touch frustrated because she felt like she couldn't help him.  
  
"Why Harm?" Now she was getting a little annoyed that he would give up everything because of this woman. "Make me understand why you want to do this." If he could do that much at least.. well at least she might be able to be more supportive. She was trying not to sound unsupportive either, it was a fine line to walk on.  
  
"I don't know if I can, Mac." Harm's voice was quiet, subdued. "I just know that I can't stay..." He didn't know how to put it into words...he only knew he was...once again...alone. He finally fixed her with a painful gaze, the hazel eyes saying more than he had in the last ten minutes of conversation. Abruptly he stood up, picking up his jacket and his keys. The prospect of spending the night here alone was too much. "Don't forget to lock up." he remarked as he headed for the door. 


End file.
